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MEDIA BIAS

Why Have Fox Ratings Dropped to a 12-Year Low?

Liberals prophesy doom, but without much cause

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by Mary Noble

Senior Editor t +

Image: screenshot

Liberals online are all atwitter with the news that Fox News ratings have crashed to their lowest since January 2001 among the "demo" – the desirable 25-54 demographic.

The ratings are at their lowest overall since 2008. The news was highlighted courtesy of a gleeful press release from MSNBC, who saw their own ratings go up 11% among 25-54-year-olds compared to this time last year.

Some left-leaners are heralding the doom of Fox News, claiming that the ratings hit reflects a leftward shift in public opinion. But it's just as likely that many conservatives have simply been avoiding political cable shows since Nov 6, out of disgust with the spectacle of Obama's re-election and inauguration.

Moreover, Fox is a long way from its deathbed by any measure. It's still the number one cable network, and still boasts the top 9 shows, with only Rachel Maddow representing the non-Fox contingent at number 10.

Via Politico and the Week.
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Why do you think Fox ratings have dropped in recent months?

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129 Comments (view in Forum)

  • Capt_Morgan02
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    They lost a ratings booster when Glenn Beck started his own network. I hardly ever bother tuning in to Fox anymore. Besides, they are only marginally better than the networks that slant the other way. Especially on gun topics. Just that I've noticed.
  • Knightkore
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    Technology again....Glenn Beck decided to go it alone and seems to be doing well....yes....that was a big chunk of their ratings....it would be nice if they could get Tucker Carlson his own show....
  • Capt_Morgan02
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    @Knightmare they and the other networks are well behind the tech curve. Someday real soon they will all find themselves left in the dust. Media is changing and they may all be to big to adapt quickly enough.
  • marine1
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    I think it might be good that they slipped a little, it will give them a little motivation to become more factual ,more aggressive and set a standard thats even harder to keep up with.
  • drpeeper
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    Fox needs a dry clean and press. What was cutting edge now is just commonplace. I am guessing Hannity will be the first to go. I am glad Dick Morris is gone. He was never right about anything ever. Bill O and Greta are fine. As a Conservative- I'd love to see a liberal 1 hour show hosted by a big name.

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  • Knightkore
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    Okay....just for laughs I picked "It's A Mystery"....

    Seriously....one of the reasons could be technology....many who watch Fox work....and those people that are on the go may actually be watching more on their mobile devices rather than tv and the ratings would not reflect that....
  • PoliticalSpice
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    Well , I'd like to think people are getting smarter, but I'm not an optimist. After bush won his first election (in 2004) I couldn't watch news or read the papers for about six months, I got my news from the Daily Show. It was easy to seperate what was true mews from the joking, and the laughs made it possible to process what was going on in the country. I'm sure some of the drop out percent is related to that, also some people were pushed away from repub by their crazy rhetoric during the election season. The idea that fox will be going out of business is just silly. When I had expanded cable I watched watched both fox and msnbc, but favored msnbc, i never liked maddow. Preferred oberman, odonell, matthews. Also wacthed comedy central and the mad money on the nbc finance channel...
  • PoliticalSpice
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    @Knightmare never got to watch sharpton cause he was on opposite mad money, the occasional times i caught a few minutes i was impressed. Krauthammer is intelligent, but only seen him a few timessame for Brit hume. Like cris wallace. Don't know carlson, beck has not immpressed me at all. I like stewart. Smart and criticizes both sides, as does colbert...

    Leaving cable conserves i find intelligent are george will, peggy noonan.
  • Knightkore
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    @PoliticalSpice Very good mix....Krauthammer is intelligent....reminds sometimes of that muppet though....Legal Eagle or something....forgot about Brit Hume....
  • Zazziness
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    Their schtick is getting old but don't count them out yet, unfortunately. Last time they were in trouble they adopted The Tea Party just for the ratings. And look what damage that has done to our nation.
  • Zazziness
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    @Capt_Morgan02 Damaged our credit rating, for one. Obstructionist, naïve, unreasonable, often superstitious and fearful of science -- they just don't send representatives that do anyone any good.
  • Capt_Morgan02
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    @Zazziness you can't hang the credit rating on one small element of DC politics. The whole lot own a little piece but Democrats being on a spending binge without even the hope for passing a budget while they had control of both houses played a big part of that. They obstruct what is in need of obstruction, mainly more spending. Naive in your opinion because they don't believe in Keynesian economics. Unreasonable because they show some backbone.
    I wasn't aware science was part of their agenda.
    The represent their constituents, otherwise they wouldn't be in DC. They don't get a seat at the table by not having support from home. Duh.
  • Zazziness
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    @Capt_Morgan02 "I wasn't aware science was part of their agenda."
    __________
    Science isn't even a part of their vocabulary, which is a big problem. And yes, The Tea Party does represent their base. Naïve, obstructionist, anti-science -- basically the fringiest fringe elements of the GOP. Which is trying to step away from them now that it's clear the extremists cost them elections.
  • Capt_Morgan02
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    @Zazziness I think you have a few things wrong but none more than thinking they really want anything to do with the Republicans. It just happens to be the nature of the political world we live in to have an R or D behind your name. I wish it weren't so, and so do they I'd imagine.

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  • Malitia_Man
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    So right!!! That's the same reason all the other controlled media is loosing theirs also!!!

    "Those who are without question, are bound to become sheep"...
  • slov
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    You are soooo right !!! Its like dealing w kindergarden kids all the time. If peolple don't see things there way. They jump up and down and try making up lies when all else fails.
  • marine1
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    Fox is conservative,we all know it's conservative, I watch it because i am fiscally conservative so why do people have a problem with fox news,if you are not conservative or if you are one of lifes leeches, you are not going to like fox so don't turn it on. We won't miss you. There is a conservative side of the tracks and a freeloader side of the tracks, so we need to all stay where we best suit our own life style.
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  • Thegrif
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    Umm, people don't want to hear the truth, or at least both sides of the story?
    They want to hear the side that makes them feel warm and fuzzy inside.
    To be honest, lately, after some of the oops (screw ups) FOX has had lately, I have wondered a few times if they aren't tuckin their tails and giving in.
  • Neo_NtheMatrix
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    Fox has become a bit liberal recently. Remember Ailes supports gun control and Fox commentators support amnesty for illegal immigrants. They are starting to lose their way. Hopefully they come home before they become MSNBC. That's a long fall, and one I'm inclined to believe is impossible, but hopefully it doesn't happen.
  • Neo_NtheMatrix
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    Wait, is this another conservative outlet that I'm criticizing? Where is Keyjo, PNWest, Zazziness? They say I never ever criticize conservative entities. Hmm...
  • frigginhell
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    Nah, that's not it. I've gone this far and not seen the reason posted either. Although I've seen some pretty funny attempts including people saying glenn beck is stealing their audience. I'll share with you the reason it's dropping.
    Most of the people who watch fox are losers. They're generally not very smart either. For a few years by identifying themselves with the gop and by extension fox they felt like winners. Like they finally beat those smarty mcknowitalls like the teachers who held them back a year, the people who went to college or just the neighbor who points out to them that roasting marshmallows over a campfire that has a burning tire in it might be bad for them. Well, it was all well and good for a few years. Then Obama came a long. Now most of these simple folks had to face a simple reality, they just got beat. Even with the recruiting drive they held out their little tea party rallys by attracting the kkk guys who were on the fence before they still failed. So they held their breath and for four years they bided their time. Never at a loss to repeat whatever slogan or story or fabrication they were being fed about the evil liberal black guy who reminded them daily of the little mixed race baby their girlfriend had or possibly daughter had was not only smarter than they were but far more successful than they'd ever hope to become. All for the promise that in four years they'll be able to put that smarmy lil bstrd in his place and be the winners again in the game of us vs them. Well, with 4 years of promises it turns out they're still losers. Something that watching fox reminds them of. So now fox are losing as well. This time it's what really counts, ratings and money. Politics be damned, pandering to a crowd and fleecing the rubes for all the cash they can get is what they're built on. A business model MSNBC has learned to follow as closely as they can.
    So even a room full of dumb people have to have some that aren't as dumb as the rest. They changed the channel.
  • Keyjo
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    @Neo_NtheMatrix
    I am right here, Neo! I don't recall ever saying that you "never ever criticize conservative entities (sic)." But I'll give you a big thumbs up, just because.(applause, applause.)

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  • Denizen_Kate
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    I'm with you. I tune into Fox once a week or so, same as MSNBC, just to hear both extremes. I can only take a couple of hours of either before the mantra "make it stop, make it stop" starts repeating in my head and I'm forced to turn it off.
  • Denizen_Kate
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    I've been allowing the far right wing a little slack. They're still trying to get over the big loss in November. I think that's why Fox's ratings have dropped - their usual avid viewers are too busy crying. Right, Neo? ;-)
  • WilliamWallace
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    Your statement on the other post was about fox not being on top. Yes you are wrong about that. Even though fox has went down in the ratings it is still on top.

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  • fistv
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    Tired of the news, pretty sure what is going to happen, now it's just a matter of getting ready for it and protecting assets. Just a matter of time till all those 401K's become a target.
  • Canoochee
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    @Denizen_Kate Nothing whatsoever. I think redheads are special. An otherwise average looking woman with red hair is gorgeous. That was an old and extremely outdated cliche. Now that I think about it I can't see why a red headed step child would be in line for any more abuse than one with black hair.
  • AtheistStand
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    Increased Access to the internet

    More college educated people who know how to use the scientific method, look up dependable references, ability to recognize crap even if its wrapped in pretty paper

    Less church controlled people

    The right has run out of fear tactic talk points and they have nothing left to talk about.(abortion, guns, gays, killing the christan god....blah blah)
  • DogLady_1
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    I think people are finally getting tired of the lopsided rabid blather... and the fact that they look like fools when they quote any of Fox's talking heads... Fox pundits have been caught too many times reporting their own suspicions as facts... their own opinions as news.
  • Raptor
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    Because people are getting tired of Rupert Murdoch and Fox pushing their right wing propaganda for news, people are smart enough to recognize the bias in their reporting and the fools they as ankers,and tired of Rupert Murdoch
  • JimCO55
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    I voted its a mystery why anyone would get their news from Faux but my guess would be that there viewers were turned off by just how far off the mark many of their pundits were in predicting a Romney victory!
  • harold_lloyd
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    Their fortunes track with the teabagger hysteria. As the teabaggers fade from the scene, Fox has fewer fools to which they may pander.

    Also, Rupert Murdoch is disappointed by his experiment in controlling world opinion. Pesky people insist on thinking for themselves, most of them.
  • cat2009
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    When you have liberal media and the President calling you out and all the other news channels riding his belief it's no wonder people think your done. But I will continue to watch I think any anybody that watch'es can make up their own mind and are qualified to decide to change the channel or not.
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