The Role of Fox News in Shaping Public Perception
In 2021, following the events of January 6th, where a mob stormed the U.S. Capitol, media columnist Margaret Sullivan highlighted the role that Fox News played in radicalizing the public. She noted that such orchestrated violence could not have occurred without the influence of Fox News hosts like Sean Hannity, Tucker Carlson, and Laura Ingraham, who promoted biased news coverage. This coverage, she argued, contributed to the environment that allowed the storming of the Capitol to happen.
Fox News did not deny that it provided a platform for Trump’s false claims about the election, especially after Dominion Voting Systems provided evidence to the contrary. In the lead-up to January 6th, Fox anchors were overheard making derogatory remarks about Trump’s claims, calling them “ludicrous” and “totally off the rails.” Other hosts used terms like “Lunatics,” “Nuts,” and “Kooky,” indicating their own skepticism of the claims. Despite this, Fox News continued to promote these falsehoods, leading to the culmination of events on January 6th.
Fox News and the Normalization of a Police State
As of 2025, Fox News is again amplifying Trump’s false narratives, particularly regarding immigrants, crime, and ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement). While Trump’s agents are committing documented atrocities in cities run by Democrats, Fox hosts label ICE protesters as “domestic terrorists” and spread false information about ICE officers having “federal immunity.”
Last week, when Kristi Noem claimed that no American citizens had been arrested or detained by ICE agents, Fox News aired the segment without any fact-checking or clarification. It is well-known that over 170 American citizens have been illegally detained by Noem’s ICE agents. When Fox showed a clip of an agent violently subduing a woman, Laura Ingraham praised the action, further normalizing brutality.
By ignoring or even encouraging ICE’s actions, while exaggerating threats against federal agents, Fox News is once again spreading falsehoods that radicalize its viewers. This normalization of a police state prepares the public to accept the idea of Trump’s secret police in their daily lives.
The Outsize Influence of Fox News
Fox News remains the most-watched news channel in the United States, consistently outperforming competitors like MSNBC, CNN, and broadcast networks. According to Pew Research, Fox News viewers are less likely to seek out diverse news sources compared to viewers of other outlets. This leads to a significant portion of the American public consuming unfiltered, un-fact-checked Trump propaganda throughout the day.
This lack of diversity in news consumption contributes to a dangerously divided nation. People’s perceptions of ICE, for example, often depend on where they get their news. Trump and his right-wing echo chamber exploit this by fomenting hatred and fear, which sells well. However, when leaders pair hatred with manufactured fears of “the other,” it can lead to unspeakable atrocities.
Fox News and the UK Media Standards
Fox News could not operate in the UK because it failed to meet the country’s impartiality and accuracy standards. Before the repeal of the Fairness Doctrine in 1987, U.S. broadcast media was required to be balanced and fair. Since then, the U.S. has become more polarized, a trend supported by various studies.
Today, many Americans turn to British news sources like the BBC for accurate reporting. Independent analysis and media watchdogs agree that British public service broadcasters provide more accurate coverage of Trump than Fox News. This accuracy stems from strict impartiality rules enforced by Ofcom, the UK’s media regulator.
When Fox News tried to air in the UK, it struggled to meet these standards and ultimately chose to stop broadcasting there. If the UK can enforce accuracy in media, so can the United States.
Implementing Media Standards in the U.S.
In the UK, broadcasters must adhere to “due impartiality” and “due accuracy” rules, which require presenting multiple viewpoints and correcting significant errors. These rules prevent one-sided propaganda and ensure that individuals or organizations facing reports of wrongdoing have the opportunity to respond.
These requirements are not overly burdensome and could significantly reduce media bias if implemented in the U.S. However, attempts to introduce similar legislation have failed due to a lack of public demand. It is time for the American public to demand these changes.
If we continue to allow propaganda to be presented as ‘news,’ ideological differences will deepen, legislative gridlock will persist, and political violence from Fox News’ homegrown radicals will only worsen.