Hoax

02Trump's close relationship with Fox News is unprecedented in American history

Let's talk about something that's never happened before in American history - the unique relationship between a sitting U.S. President and a major news network. This isn't just a bit of trivia, it's a big deal that could change the way we think about journalism and democracy in our country. So, what's the deal with news media? Well, in a democracy like ours, news outlets are supposed to be the "Fourth Estate." That's a fancy way of saying they're supposed to keep an eye on the government and tell us, the public, what's really going on. They're supposed to give us the facts, no matter who's in power. But according to Brian Stelter, Fox News has been playing a different game during Trump's presidency. Instead of keeping their distance and reporting the facts, Fox News has cozied up to Trump, often pushing his views and policies without asking the hard questions. This is what Stelter calls Trump's "entanglement" with Fox News. To back up his point, Stelter points to a 2019 survey that found a big difference between Republicans who mainly watch Fox News and those who get their news from other sources. The survey found that over half of the "Fox News Republicans" said there was nothing Trump could do to lose their support, compared to less than a third of Republicans who get their news elsewhere. This suggests that Fox News' coverage of Trump has a big impact on how its viewers see the president. Stelter also talks about Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch, the father-son team who run Fox News. According to Stelter, the Murdochs care more about making money than about good journalism, which has led to a drop in the quality of reporting at Fox News. This is shown by the fact that several well-known journalists, like Megyn Kelly, have left Fox News even though they were offered a lot of money to stay. And it's not just a one-way street. Stelter points out that Trump and Fox News have a kind of back-and-forth relationship. He cites research by Matt Gertz from Media Matters, who found that Trump tweeted at least 657 times in response to Fox News or Fox Business programs in a single year. This suggests that Fox News doesn't just push Trump's views, it also helps shape them. So, what's the bottom line? The "entanglement" between Trump and Fox News is a big departure from the usual relationship between the U.S. presidency and the news media. This could have serious consequences for journalism and democracy in the U.S., as it weakens the media's role as an independent watchdog on government power.

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