Trump angry at home channel: “Fox News is dead”

It was not the first time that Donald Trump criticized his favorite channel, Fox News. But on Thursday he dealt a blow to the conservative Twitter channel, suggesting the end of what is possibly the most powerful alliance between the White House and a media outlet in recent US history. (More on Fox News during Election Days: Trumps domestic announcer winks)

The ratings have completely collapsed. Worse still on the weekend during the day. Very sad to see this, but they forgot what made them successful, what got them there. You forgot the goose that laid the golden eggs. The biggest difference between the 2016 and 2020 elections was Fox News, ”Trump wrote on Twitter. Obviously, by chicken laying eggs he was referring to himself, as an audience magnet for media mogul Rupert Murdoch’s conservative news channel.

Trump is angry at Fox News, the station that has been loyal to him for the past few years. Because the channel recognizes Joe Biden’s election victory and critically treats Trump’s unfounded allegations of voter fraud, at least on daytime shows. Trump’s Revenge: On Thursday he posted on Twitter a series of messages from unknown users who were disappointed. One of them said: “Fox News is dead.”

Donald Trump and Fox News: This is an alliance that began years before the real estate mogul’s sensational move to the White House. Back in 2011, it was an integral part of the morning show “Fox and Friends” every Monday. As a candidate for the White House, he received not only benevolent reports, but also many unfiltered interviews.

Murdoch, who also owns several other Fox stations, as well as the “Wall Street Journal” and “New York Post” newspapers, is said to have disliked him personally, as described by many observers of the scene. But he saw in Trump a historic opportunity to expand his power to the core of the White House.

The plan worked and Fox News became more than just a news channel. It gave Trump’s falsehoods more space than other major channels. The evening’s opinion broadcasts were packed with Trump-friendly moderators. Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity and Laura Ingraham refer to Trump as their “friends” – every day they offer a tribute program reminiscent of government propaganda.

In his book “Hoax,” the CNN media reporter, who reports extremely critical of the president, describes the multiple ties between the Trump administration and Fox News. The channel is a “propaganda machine the likes of which the United States has never seen before,” writes Brian Stelter. And an echo chamber: Trump drew ideas for his policy from the shows, which then reported on his policy with praise. According to a May 2019 poll, Trump enjoyed a significantly higher level of approval for his work among Fox News consumers than among viewers at other stations.

Stelter portrays Sean Hannity as one of Trump’s most important advisers during his presidency. It is said to have influenced personnel and management decisions. Hannity isn’t the only one in the president’s ear: Trump is reportedly said to have called off a planned attack on Iran that could have led to war, also by Tucker Carlson. This had previously announced moderation in its broadcast.

Behind the scenes at Fox News there are two opposing camps: the talk show staff and the News journalists like Chris Wallace, who also organized the first televised duel between Trump and Biden. According to Stelter, the latter were increasingly frustrated during the presidency by the list the station had received from commentators. (Read about this: Trump has the wrong guy)

The US elections were the time for independent news reporters and data analysts for the channel. On election night the station proclaimed the Arizona “Swing State” for Biden early. According to the New York Times, a shock to the Trump team. The president’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, called Murdoch and tried to persuade the station to pull out, to no avail.

When Biden obtained the necessary 270 votes from the electoral college, the broadcaster named Biden “president-elect.” Fox News reporter Eric Shawn drew attention when he said of a Trump team’s indictment of alleged electoral irregularities: “That is not true. That is not true. That’s not true. “And moderator Neil Cavuto switched from a press conference with a Trump spokeswoman on the same topic after a few moments. His reasoning:” If she doesn’t have more details to prove it, I can’t show it to her with conscience. quiet”.

This upset not only Trump, but also some of his supporters, who now accuse Fox of treason against the president and want to switch to smaller television channels like OANN (One America News Network) or Newsmax. These regularly distort the truth beyond recognition. Newsmax’s ratings have multiplied by several in recent days. Trump said he personally congratulated Newsmax boss Christopher Ruddy in a call from the Oval Office.

Trump had repeatedly threatened that the mainstream media that reported negatively on him would suffer bitterly after his departure; in fact, American media like Fox News or the “New York Times” have gained subscribers and viewers thanks to Trump. In the political struggle for survival, the outgoing president could now walk away from his post.

But what’s next? “Trump wants control,” journalist Stelter quotes an insider in his book, which was published shortly before the election. “He wants Trump TV.” His own media empire. Thus, Trump could soon be competing for the favor of the audience as Murdoch’s opponent, with many hours of broadcasting just for his worldview, straight from his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida, possibly with shows for his sons Ivanka. , Eric and Don Junior. “Trump is like Fox’s Frankenstein,” Stelter quotes another source. “You helped create it and it’s out of control.”

SDA / Sep

Posted: Nov 13, 2020 11:56 am