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Consider This from NPR

Is Fox News Still A Republican Kingmaker?

Consider This from NPR

NPR

Society & Culture, News, Daily News, News Commentary

4.15.3K Ratings

🗓️ 31 January 2024

⏱️ 14 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Fox News has been the Republican Party's biggest cheerleader almost since it premiered in 1996.

Nearly three decades later, many Republicans perceive Fox as the de facto kingmaker for all kinds of Republican candidates — including presidential.

That kingmaker status brought Fox News power, ratings and billions in profits and has spawned a succession of imitators and competition.

But for Fox, that synergy with Trump and the Republicans has come with significant risk and significant consequences.

Dominion Voting Systems sued Fox for defamation after network anchors amplified Trump's false election claims. The company settled, at a cost of nearly $790 million.

Nevertheless, Fox News still has the power to shape Republican politics as the country heads into another presidential election cycle. But is that power diminished in 2024?

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Transcript

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0:00.0

Fox News has been the Republican Party's biggest cheerleader almost since it premiered in 1996.

0:07.0

Fair, balanced, Fox.

0:10.0

Nearly three decades later, many Republicans perceive Fox as the de facto kingmaker

0:15.1

for all kinds of Republican candidates including presidential. He's got basically

0:19.8

a Praetorian guard of the conservative media, Fox News, you know, the websites, all the stuff.

0:27.9

They just don't, they don't hold them accountable because they're worried about losing viewers.

0:32.2

That's former Republican presidential candidate and current Florida Governor Ron DeSantis explaining why he thinks Donald Trump maintains a stranglehold on the Republican Party.

0:41.0

That Kingmaker status brought Fox News power, ratings, and billions in profits.

0:47.0

And it spawned a succession of imitators and competition like Newsmax.

0:52.0

Almost 20% of the American people say they will vote for whoever Taylor Swift tells them to vote

0:57.1

for and now the Biden and won America news.

0:59.5

Away and live is the best way to stay up to date on all of the hard-hitting, straight shooting, national

1:04.4

and international headlines.

1:06.5

But for Fox, that synergy with Trump and the Republicans has come with significant risk and

1:12.0

significant consequences.

1:13.6

There is a settlement, a settlement in the high stakes trial between Dominion Voting Systems

1:19.4

and Fox.

1:20.4

Dominion Voting $1,790 million.

1:33.0

Soon after, Fox's most popular anchor Tucker Carlson left the network, and then another

1:38.5

bombshell.

1:39.5

Now to a changing of the guards at one of the biggest and most influential media companies in the world.

1:45.0

After seven decades, Rupert Murdoch stepped down as chairman of the company he built.

...

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