Last week, Rupert Murdoch officially became chairman emeritus at Fox and News Corp. His successor, son Lachlan Murdoch, appears to share the business and programming sensibilities of his father. However, this moment could be a critical turning point for some of the most influential conservative media properties in the United States.
Three of our columnists — Erik Wemple, Hugh Hewitt, and Megan McArdle — recently discussed their priorities if they were in Lachlan Murdoch’s position today.
Use the audio player or The Post’s “Please, Go On” podcast feed to listen to the full conversation.
Here is an edited excerpt from their conversation:
Erik Wemple: Hugh and Megan, if you were Lachlan Murdoch, what would you do now regarding Fox News?
Hugh Hewitt: My initial reaction would be to take a gradual approach and do nothing. I wouldn’t make any immediate changes. As Lachlan, I wouldn’t want to risk losing shareholder value in the first year of taking over a publicly traded company. I wouldn’t want to be seen as the Liz Truss of the news business.
Megan McArdle: If I were Lachlan Murdoch, I would try to find peace by accepting the things I can’t change and focusing on the things I can. One thing that can’t be changed is Donald Trump’s influence.
Contrary to popular belief, Fox News doesn’t have as much control over viewers’ opinions as progressives may think. While I don’t excuse Fox for amplifying Trump’s false election claims, I don’t believe it had a significant impact. Ultimately, people received the message from Trump himself, not from Fox News. Fox followed, rather than led, on that issue.
Wemple: I disagree. I think Fox News had a lot of power and influence, especially when you consider Hannity’s unwavering support for Trump. With his prime-time show and large viewership, he had a significant impact on the political landscape.
Hewitt: I remember when the former president would appear on multiple networks, including Fox, because he was a ratings magnet. Networks are more interested in ratings and captivating television than alignment with their editorial policies.
McArdle: One challenge for journalists is that we don’t have as much influence as we believe. Mainstream media often reflects public opinion rather than shaping it. It’s difficult to determine who influences whom. The 2016 election demonstrated that telling people what to think isn’t as effective as we thought.
Wemple: We can debate the extent to which news organizations lead or follow, but I do think Fox News played a significant role in promoting Trump’s claims and keeping the narrative alive. It had a profound impact in late 2020.
Hewitt: I’m skeptical, Erik. We’re simply not as important to people as we believe. We’re just background noise. All media is background noise.
Denial of responsibility! Vigour Times is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
