In case you missed it …
The Daily Mail reports that former CIA and FBI agents are now working throughout Silicon Valley social media companies, in roles dedicated to “misinformation” censorship.
NPR reports that an ABC news producer used her credentials and access to undermine politicians while receiving thousands of dollars from a political lobbying firm.
VP Kamala Harris said in an interview that she would “require” social media to work with The White House to protect “democracy”.
Dear Friends—
Will Fox News ditch Donald Trump for the 2024 presidential election? Has it already?
The political grounds shifted after November’s elections. That, combined with some Trump missteps and polling showing many Republicans want a different standard bearer, leaves Fox’s position up in the air.
The network both reigns over cable television ratings, and is the largest voice in the country speaking to Republicans. There’s no competition for Fox – on television at least – that offers conservatives a platform where they are both treated fairly and viewed by millions.
So how will Fox approach 2024? I left the company after the 2016 election and have no inside information, but have a reasonable idea of the dynamics at play.
First, the Murdochs have pretty clearly turned against Trump.
To me, that’s not obvious by watching Fox itself, but by the actions two of the other Murdoch-owned outlets took right after the election.
After the election, the New York Post skewered Trump on its cover.
The Wall Street Journal, also owned by the Murdoch clan, blasted Trump in an official editorial, headlined “Trump Is the Republican Party’s Biggest Loser,” and asking if “Republicans are sick and tired of losing.”
It’s quite unlikely that either of these would have happened without either direction from Rupert or his son Lachlan, or at least without their direct approval.
But Fox News is a different animal than a newspaper with a single cover or a single “official” editorial board. With 24/7 news coverage and dozens of anchors, reporters and contributors, I can tell you it’s very rare to have specific editorial positions dictated from above.
Yes, they know their audience is conservative and play to that. But in my two decades there as a very senior manager, I never heard orders to support or oppose any candidate. I know most of the current prime-time hosts, and know that they each have a massive amount of autonomy and responsibility for their shows.
The Murdochs care more about maintaining the wild success of Fox News than they care about any election.
Rupert and his family think in the long term, and they aren’t politicians. They’re businessmen, led by one of the shrewdest businessmen around.
When Rupert took the helm of his first newspaper, Harry Truman was the president of the United States. Winston Churchill was the prime minister of the UK. He’s literally been a media mogul through 14 presidencies, and covered hundreds of politicians. He has his political preferences, of course, but with the calmness of a man who’s seen it all.
He’s also seen competitors come and go, and right now Fox News doesn’t really have a cable competitor.
Yes, there’s NewsMax, which still offers 100% pro-Trump coverage, but they’re still minor-league in comparison to Fox, both in ratings and in the overall quality of their product. Still, this schism could be their chance to make some strides against Fox.
No matter what, Trump will portray Fox as being unfair.
It’s how he operates, and it’s worked well in the past. Even in 2016, when we were the only outlet on the planet being fair to him, he’d find and attack any anchor not on his side.
Prediction: Fairly or not, he’ll blast Fox as being liberal and anti-Trump, and many of his supporters will agree.
So where does that leave Fox and Trump?
I predict the channel will treat Trump roughly the same as they treat DeSantis or any other major candidate seeking the GOP nomination.
Some opinion hosts will still be on his side; others will lean elsewhere. He won’t have unfettered access to shows like he’s had in the past, and they won’t take his rallies wall-to-wall, nor be afraid to counter claims that aren’t true.
His hardcore supporters will cry foul, and a small percentage of them will find undiluted Trump happiness at NewsMax. Fox will remain an important player in the U.S. media landscape and will continue to be a powerful force in the 2024 election.
Those are my thoughts. Yours?
— Ken
PS: We haven’t run ads in this newsletter since its inception 4 years ago. If you’re in a position where you can, a subscription would be a great way to help me continue that streak. Just a thought!
I think Fox News and especially the WSJ are as much fake news as CNN only a different direction. The only salvageable shows on Fox are Tucker and Gutfeld.
Their bias and lies became undeniable in 2020 and many viewers ditched them. I do not expect now until 2024 to be any different. Paul Ryan will make SURE they abandon Trump.
The entire MSM ( of which Fox is proudly a member ) needs to die. Why is it that two moguls should control the news? Because they think they are better/more knowledgeable than we are? Sure.
Regardless of my thoughts on what The Donald achieved in his 4 years as President (and there were a lot of “wins”), DJT is not a Team Player. It is all about him, 24/7 and regardless of achievements, everyone makes mistakes. Leaders address the mistakes and course correct. Egomaniacs, just keep going. And since 2020, DJT has just kept going. He cost two Senatorial elections in Georgia in 2020. In 2022, some of the scores that he “settled” with the likes of Peter Meier, Jaime Herrera Beutler and others who voted against DJT in impeachment hearings was (in my mind) the badge of a non-team player. Some of the Senate candidates that he backed in 2022 were just not that good. Nice people? Sure! But good candidates that can raise money and win elections? I will not regurgitate the list here. But Dr. Oz comes directly to mind. Hershel Walker is another example. Why did he back these candidates? Personal fealty to DJT seems to be the answer.
Was DJT treated unfairly in 2020? There is no doubt in my mind that he should have won the election. BUT, he did not win and it is time to move on. I have contributed a lot of money to elect Republican candidates in 2016, 2018, 2020 and 2022. But I have drawn a line in the sand that says, if DJT is involved, no mas.