For the better part of the past century, journalism was almost entirely a liberal sphere of influence. Sure, there was the op-ed page in the Wall Street Journal, and publications like the Weekly Standard and the National Review made their own mark on the conservative movement, but the big names in the game dwarfed them in influence.
This changed in 1997 with the launch of the Fox News channel, which effectively broke CNN’s monopoly on 24/7 cable news coverage. Suddenly, there was a voice for conservatives in the mainstream. Previously, this had been relegated almost entirely to AM talk radio stations, which are still active today with the likes of Rush Limbaugh and Mark Levin still attracting heavy ratings.
It’s almost impossible to quantify the impact of Fox News on America’s political discourse. Suddenly, there was an alternative to the narratives of the day. But here’s the thing — Fox News doesn’t always get it right. Lately, it seems the network has been trending in the other direction.
We’re not entirely sure why Fox News is pivoting — perhaps its to save face with larger media corporations. But we are certain about this: we should be just as critical of Fox as we are with any other news outlet. This principle should apply no matter which part of the spectrum a network comes from.