Fox News is an American multinational conservative cable news television channel. It is owned by Fox News Media, which itself is owned by the Fox Corporation. The channel broadcasts primarily out of studios in New York City. Fox News was created by Australian-American media mogul [[Rupert Murdoch]], who hired former [Republican Party](https://doctorparadox.net/the-gop-is-3-cults-in-a-trenchcoat/) media consultant and CNBC executive [[Roger Ailes]] as its founding CEO. The network was launched on October 7, 1996, to 17 million cable subscribers. ## Right-wing bias The channel has been influential in shaping the modern landscape of broadcast news in the United States. Fox News differentiated itself from competitors like CNN and MSNBC with its overtly [[conservative]] political stance, which appealed to a demographic that believed mainstream media outlets were skewed too far to the left. It quickly grew in popularity, and by 2002, it had surpassed CNN to become the highest-rated cable news network in the U.S., a title it held for many years. Fox News' programming is a mix of news reporting and opinionated commentary. Notable shows have included "The O'Reilly Factor" from [[Bill O'Reilly]], "Hannity" with [[Sean Hannity]], "Fox & Friends," and "[[Tucker Carlson]] Tonight" (2016-2023). These shows, among others, have been known for their [right-wing viewpoints](https://doctorparadox.net/tag/right-wing/) and have had a significant influence on political discourse in the U.S. ## Controversies and scandals Throughout its history, Fox News has been the subject of numerous controversies and allegations. These include accusations of promoting conservative political positions and misinformation, as well as allegations of workplace sexual harassment and [[discrimination]]. [[Roger Ailes]], the network's founding CEO, resigned in 2016 following sexual harassment allegations. Despite these controversies, Fox News has maintained a large and loyal viewership. Its influence within conservative circles and its impact on political discourse in the U.S. has been substantial. ## Defamation lawsuits relating to the 2020 election Fox News settled with Dominion Voting Systems for $787.5 million, following a defamation lawsuit Dominion filed in 2021. The lawsuit was due to Fox News spreading misinformation about the [2020 presidential election](https://doctorparadox.net/category/politics/2020-election/) results, largely through the network's opinion hosts. These hosts operate independently from its news division and are not held to the same journalistic standards. After the settlement, Fox News dissolved its investigative unit, leading to layoffs among the journalists, producers, and management. An insider at Fox News has rejected any connection between the layoffs and the Dominion settlement, stating that some of the people within the investigative unit had been reassigned. The legal battle revealed the lengths the network went to propagate the idea that the election had been rigged in President Biden's favor and stolen from [[Donald Trump]], despite being fully aware that they couldn't substantiate this claim. The network continued to push this narrative, believing it would boost ratings. The CEO of Fox News, Suzanne Scott, even wrote in an email after the election that [fact-checking](https://doctorparadox.net/dictionaries/disinformation-dictionary/fact-checking/) fraud claims was "bad for business". Additionally, Fox News is facing another lawsuit from Smartmatic, a different voting systems company. Smartmatic is also alleging defamation for the spreading of lies about the 2020 election, and the company has stated that it wants Fox News to pay out even more than the sum it paid to Dominion​. ## Notable Fox News hosts - [[Tucker Carlson]] - [[Lou Dobbs]] - [[Newt Gingrich]] - [[Sean Hannity]] - [[Laura Ingraham]] - Megyn Kelly - Tomi Lahren - [[Bill O'Reilly]] - Jeanine Pirro