The relationship between Fox News and President Trump
By: Shyanne Reid
The purpose of journalism is to provide people with the necessary information they need to help them make decisions about their lives, communities, and their government. So, journalists need to be unbiased and thorough with their reporting and investigating. The Society of Professional Journalists is the oldest organization representing journalists in the United States. In their Code of Ethics which outlines guidelines that all good journalist should follow it says, ethical journalism should be accurate and fair, a journalist should support the open and civil exchange of views, even views they find repugnant, a journalist should avoid stereotyping, they should examine the ways their values and experiences may shape their reporting.
Although good journalists are expected to go out of their way to provide accurate and neutral news, many news sources today are allied with specific ways of thinking. Meaning some sources are providing more conservative news, while others are providing more liberal news.
One of the biggest and most popular conservative news sources today is Fox News. Fox News is run by News Corporation or News Corp whose founder and Executive Chairman is Rupert Murdoch, Murdoch also sits as Co-Chairman of Fox Corporation. Over the years Murdoch has built relationships with the leaders of Australia and Great Britain, where he also conducts some of his media business. However, he did not have a relationship with a U.S president until Donald Trump was elected in 2017. The two have always run in the same circle but build a close relationship when it benefitted them both.
For President Trump, his strong relationship with a man like Murdoch who is in charge of several news conglomerates is beneficial to his reputation. Due to the fact that he could be assured that the news sources that Murdoch runs will show him support. This is a support that is very much need being that Trump has been a very controversial president.
It is no surprise that being close to someone who is in control of a country would benefit a businessman like Rupert Murdoch. His relationship with President Trump paid off back in 2017 when his company 21st Century Fox announced that it would be merging with Disney. This merger was praised by President Trump, he claimed that it was a great deal that would provide jobs. However, a year prior when AT&T announced that it would acquire Time Warner, President Trump who was just a candidate for the presidency at the time, condemned the deal. He said that “It’s too much concentration of power.” However, his opposition to the deal could have been because Time Warner owned CNN, a news outlet that has always been critical of Trump’s actions.
The U.S Department of Justice attempted to stop the AT&T/Time Warner deal under an anti-trust lawsuit that lasted 18-months. Antitrust laws prevent big companies from forming monopolies. Monopolies make it difficult for competition in the market, and it also doesn’t give consumers much say in where they can get a service or how much they are willing to pay for it.
The DOJ was not successful in preventing the merger of the two companies they got permission from the courts to carry out their plans. AT&T and Time Warner finalized their merger in 2018.
Being that Trump was quick to discourage the AT&T/Time Warner merger but celebrate Murdoch’s deal with Disney makes him look biased. According to an article from the New York Times when the deal between Fox and Disney was announced Trump called Murdoch to ensure Fox News would not be affected. One can only speculate that Trump had nothing but good things to say about this deal because it involved someone whom he considered to be a friend, and someone who can also help protect his public image.
Trump whom we all know is not afraid to speak his mind has accused almost every other news source other than Fox of providing fake news. He has praised Fox for their ability to get the news right. The president has had many interviews with Fox reporters including Lauren Ingraham and Sean Hannity who have been known to publicly support him. His interviews with Fox reporters make up more than 40 percent of the interviews he has given.
Fox has benefited highly from the approval and attention it gets from the president. According to an article by the New York Times “In June and July, Fox News was the highest-rated television channel in the prime-time hours of 8 to 11 p.m.” Its viewership surpassed its rivals CNN, NBC, ESPN, and other major networks.
Both Murdoch and Trump profit from their relationship. Although it is the ethical thing for all news organizations to report fairly and not in a way that benefits them, it is clear that this is not the case in today’s times. Fox is a conservative news source with a good relationship with the current conservative president and as a result, they are reaping the rewards of the attention they give him and the approval he gives them.