It could be stormy times ahead for the “fair and balanced” news network as many conservatives seem to resent the news network after the firing of Tucker Carlson earlier this year. A new poll revealed that only a third of conservative voters consider Fox News the most trustworthy. The conservative voter was the demographic that propelled the network to ratings dominance for years.
According to a recent Rasmussen Reports survey, 34% of “self-identified conservatives” stated they most trusted Fox News. Newsmax was rated the next highest in trustworthiness, with 24% of respondents supporting it. All other networks received “single-digit percentages as most trusted among conservative voters.” So Fox is still king, but it’s no longer the untouchable juggernaut it used to be.
THE MIXED MESSAGES OF BIDENOMICS
Even with the hit in public trust, Fox was still the most chosen of the so-called “right-wing” news networks. Rasmussen revealed that 52% of conservatives watched Fox the most, with 18% watching Newsmax. The poll showed that 9% of conservatives watched One America News Network the most.
Furthermore, despite the sag in support, Fox News remained the most trusted news network overall among “likely U.S. voters,” Rasmussen reported. The poll found that 23% supported Fox the most. Next was MSNBC with 15%, followed by CNN with 14%, Newsmax with 12%, and CNBC with 7%, followed by a tie between Fox Business and One America News Network with 5%.
Conversely, MSNBC dominated with viewers who stated they were Democrats. Rasmussen revealed that 30% of viewers trusted that network the most, followed by CNN at 22% and, interestingly, Fox News at 16%, according to the poll. Among voters not affiliated with the Republican or Democrat parties, Fox News was considered the most trusted cable network, with 18% of respondents supporting them. Next was Newsmax with 14%, CNN with 13%, and MSNBC with 10%.
It would be disingenuous to say Fox News is on the verge of collapse after Carlson’s departure. However, it would be equally false to say that it hasn’t had any significant impact. Forbes reported that Fox lost “31% of their primetime audience compared to one year ago.” Rasmussen’s poll confirmed what many suspected would happen after Carlson was fired — a decline in trust and support from its audience.
Jesse Watters, a pundit who has enjoyed a steady growth in popularity over the years, was named as the replacement for Carlson’s time slot on Fox. It remains to be seen if ratings will continue to suffer or eventually rebound. But for the moment, conservatives still have a lot of bitterness toward Fox.