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Fox News maintains hawkish stance against China, seen as a Republican organ
By Zhang Mengxu, Chi Han, and Li Sikun Source:Global Times Published: 2019/6/10 18:13:39
○ Fox News has long been accused by critics of being a mouthpiece for the Trump administration, reflected in its anchors' and managers close ties with the President.
○ Fox has abandoned its "fair and balanced" motto and spares no effort to promote the administration, critics said.
○ Fox's constant criticisms of China are extremely provocative. More effective communication will help American public know more about China, experts said.
In the 1990s, Australian media tycoon Rupert Murdoch, founder of News Corp, sought to expand his influence in the US television market by asking Roger Eugene Ailes, a US television producer and former Republican political consultant, to launch Fox News.
In January 2002, Fox News surpassed CNN in ratings for the first time due to its extensive coverage of the September 11 attacks.
In recent years, Fox has gradually become a platform for right-wing conservatives in the United States and a "staunch media ally" of the Trump administration.
In its coverage of China-US economic and trade frictions, many anchors, including Trish Regan, a female host of the Fox Business Network who recently had a live debate with her Chinese counterpart Liu Xin, a talk show host of China Global Television Network, on trade and technology, maintain an extreme and tough stance towards China.
Why is there such a high consistency between the administration's and Fox's agenda?
Fox is the antithesis of the "anti-Trump" wing of the liberal media, but in a way, it represents the overall trend of the American public on political issues.
Republican control
Shen Yi, Associate Professor of the School of International Relations and Public Affairs of Fudan University, told the Global Times that Fox is a channel favored by white conservative constituencies in America.
Its content tends to reflect the traditional values held by American white conservative male and Anglo-Saxon Puritans in the 1950s and 1960s.
Despite its professed aim of being "fair and balanced," Fox has clearly forged strong ties with many Republican leaders and conservative political institutions. Roger Ailes, who died in 2017, was known as the "Republican fixer and Fox News mastermind.
The network has an impressive list of prominent Republican commentators, including Sarah Palin, the former Alaska governor who served as John McCain's running mate when he ran for president in 2008, Newt Gingrich, 50th Speaker of the House of Representatives from 1995 to 1999, and Mike Huckabee, candidate for the Republican nomination in the presidential election in 2008 and 2016.
Fox also championed the conservative Tea Party movement, which swept across America in 2009.
In 2010, Fox's parent company News Corporation donated $1 million to the Republican Governors Association. Many of Fox's hosts and political commentators, such as Tucker Carlson, Greg Gutfeld, Sean Hannity and Laura Ingraham, are considered conservative.
Fox's close relationship with Donald Trump is no secret to those who keep an eye on American politics.
Fox was one of the few mainstream media outlets to support Trump in the 2016 presidential election while others overwhelmingly backed Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton.
After entering the White House, Trump publicly praised Fox news on many occasions, constantly attacking other media as "enemies of the people" while praising Fox's "fair" reporting.
"Fox and Friends" is said to be essential viewing for Trump every morning. His Tweets are often in sync with the content of the show, drawing criticism that Fox is no longer a media outlet, but more a part of the White House propaganda machine.
President Trump was upset because he had to watch CNN and not his favorite Fox News during his recent visit to the UK, Vox reported.
Fox also has a high degree of alignment with the Republican administration in its coverage of China.
According to US media reports, Trump often watches Sean Hannity's television commentary, and the two are close friends.
During Trump's first meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Singapore last June, Hannity reportedly brought a burner phone specifically for talking to Trump, citing "concerns about Chinese hacking."
Empty motto
Professor Jia Wenshan, a professor of Communication Studies at Chapman University in California, told the Global Times that although Fox's motto is "fair and balanced," it does not take objectivity as the highest standard in news reporting.
If the views of the guests on its programs are at odds with those of the hosts, the hosts are likely to hit back fiercely at them, Jia said.
After the September 11 attacks, Fox increasingly invited guests whose opinions were in line with the hosts' views in order to openly advocate its far-right ideology, he explained.
Jia told the Global Times that Fox has spared no effort to promote the Trump administration in the past two years, acting as its voice either explicitly or implicitly.
From the perspective of the American people, CNN is a liberal media outlet that leans toward the Democratic Party, while Fox is a mouthpiece for right-wing conservatives that reflects the social values of the Republican Party.
Since Trump came to power, Fox's remarks have become more extreme, Hanna Bloch, an ethnic Chinese sophomore at the Nevada State University, Las Vegas Campus, told the Global Times, adding that it seems Fox is almost becoming owned by the president.
It is the only TV station that broadcasts Donald Trump's speeches live in their entirety.
In early 2017, when Donald Trump was being sworn in as president, Bloch traveled to Washington to take part in a women's march to protest against racial discrimination.
Tara Carter, an African American nurse at a children's hospital in Las Vegas, told the Global Times that she rarely watches Fox News because its shows are very white supremacist.
Carter explained that in Fox News' coverage of criminal stories, if a suspect of a crime is white, they will downplay it. If the suspect is of African descent, they will report the entire crime in great detail, revealing information about and appearance of the suspect.
She regards Fox as a racially biased media.
Provocative on China
Armando Fajarto, a teacher at a public school of Arlington county, Virginia, told the Global Times that he seldom watches mainstream news channels in the United States, and has little interest in either CNN or Fox.
It's filled with confrontation, conflict and name-calling, he explained, adding that CNN is constantly attacking Trump, while Fox is constantly berating liberal media outlets and defending Trump.
Such news reports have lost their objectivity and become mouthpieces for different interest groups in the US, he said.
Fajarto personally disagreed with Fox's coverage of China. In his view, the phrase "made in China" enjoys a global reputation for cheap and good-quality products, and Americans like him benefit from China-US trade.
However, China is always blamed in Fox's reports, which are extremely provocative, he said.
Yu Guoming, executive director of the School of Journalism and Communication at Beijing Normal University, told the Global Times that compared to the majority of TV networks in the US, Fox adopts a more populist style which appeals to the public more successfully than TV networks like CNN.
The hosts sometimes use slang and intense and emotional language might also be used, unlike most news programs and traditional reporting styles, Yu explained.
Yu pointed out: "Although this approach has been controversial in the American press, it is welcome in today's relatively populist climate. Some other TV stations in the US are also adopting Fox's reporting style to add so-called emotional color."
Yu believes that Fox's influence on the American public is significant and reflects its current level of understanding on political issues in the US.
"As far as I know, the general public of the United States has a limited understanding of China. From the dialogue between Liu Xin and Trish Regan, it can be seen that Trish, as an influential TV host, knows so little about China, which partly reflects the American public's understanding of China," Yu said.
"So we have to use effective communication and public diplomacy to get the American public to know more about China, beyond the current rigid, narrow views and distorted contexts," he added.
Newspaper headline: Tool of the PARTY
○ Fox has abandoned its "fair and balanced" motto and spares no effort to promote the administration, critics said.
○ Fox's constant criticisms of China are extremely provocative. More effective communication will help American public know more about China, experts said.
Photo: VCG
In the 1990s, Australian media tycoon Rupert Murdoch, founder of News Corp, sought to expand his influence in the US television market by asking Roger Eugene Ailes, a US television producer and former Republican political consultant, to launch Fox News.
In January 2002, Fox News surpassed CNN in ratings for the first time due to its extensive coverage of the September 11 attacks.
In recent years, Fox has gradually become a platform for right-wing conservatives in the United States and a "staunch media ally" of the Trump administration.
In its coverage of China-US economic and trade frictions, many anchors, including Trish Regan, a female host of the Fox Business Network who recently had a live debate with her Chinese counterpart Liu Xin, a talk show host of China Global Television Network, on trade and technology, maintain an extreme and tough stance towards China.
Why is there such a high consistency between the administration's and Fox's agenda?
Fox is the antithesis of the "anti-Trump" wing of the liberal media, but in a way, it represents the overall trend of the American public on political issues.
Hundreds of activists gather outside Fox News HQ on March 13, 2019 to protest against Fox News host Tucker Carlson over his controversial comments against women. Photo: IC
Republican control
Shen Yi, Associate Professor of the School of International Relations and Public Affairs of Fudan University, told the Global Times that Fox is a channel favored by white conservative constituencies in America.
Its content tends to reflect the traditional values held by American white conservative male and Anglo-Saxon Puritans in the 1950s and 1960s.
Despite its professed aim of being "fair and balanced," Fox has clearly forged strong ties with many Republican leaders and conservative political institutions. Roger Ailes, who died in 2017, was known as the "Republican fixer and Fox News mastermind.
The network has an impressive list of prominent Republican commentators, including Sarah Palin, the former Alaska governor who served as John McCain's running mate when he ran for president in 2008, Newt Gingrich, 50th Speaker of the House of Representatives from 1995 to 1999, and Mike Huckabee, candidate for the Republican nomination in the presidential election in 2008 and 2016.
Fox also championed the conservative Tea Party movement, which swept across America in 2009.
In 2010, Fox's parent company News Corporation donated $1 million to the Republican Governors Association. Many of Fox's hosts and political commentators, such as Tucker Carlson, Greg Gutfeld, Sean Hannity and Laura Ingraham, are considered conservative.
Fox's close relationship with Donald Trump is no secret to those who keep an eye on American politics.
Fox was one of the few mainstream media outlets to support Trump in the 2016 presidential election while others overwhelmingly backed Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton.
After entering the White House, Trump publicly praised Fox news on many occasions, constantly attacking other media as "enemies of the people" while praising Fox's "fair" reporting.
"Fox and Friends" is said to be essential viewing for Trump every morning. His Tweets are often in sync with the content of the show, drawing criticism that Fox is no longer a media outlet, but more a part of the White House propaganda machine.
President Trump was upset because he had to watch CNN and not his favorite Fox News during his recent visit to the UK, Vox reported.
Fox also has a high degree of alignment with the Republican administration in its coverage of China.
According to US media reports, Trump often watches Sean Hannity's television commentary, and the two are close friends.
During Trump's first meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Singapore last June, Hannity reportedly brought a burner phone specifically for talking to Trump, citing "concerns about Chinese hacking."
Empty motto
Professor Jia Wenshan, a professor of Communication Studies at Chapman University in California, told the Global Times that although Fox's motto is "fair and balanced," it does not take objectivity as the highest standard in news reporting.
If the views of the guests on its programs are at odds with those of the hosts, the hosts are likely to hit back fiercely at them, Jia said.
After the September 11 attacks, Fox increasingly invited guests whose opinions were in line with the hosts' views in order to openly advocate its far-right ideology, he explained.
Jia told the Global Times that Fox has spared no effort to promote the Trump administration in the past two years, acting as its voice either explicitly or implicitly.
From the perspective of the American people, CNN is a liberal media outlet that leans toward the Democratic Party, while Fox is a mouthpiece for right-wing conservatives that reflects the social values of the Republican Party.
Since Trump came to power, Fox's remarks have become more extreme, Hanna Bloch, an ethnic Chinese sophomore at the Nevada State University, Las Vegas Campus, told the Global Times, adding that it seems Fox is almost becoming owned by the president.
It is the only TV station that broadcasts Donald Trump's speeches live in their entirety.
In early 2017, when Donald Trump was being sworn in as president, Bloch traveled to Washington to take part in a women's march to protest against racial discrimination.
Tara Carter, an African American nurse at a children's hospital in Las Vegas, told the Global Times that she rarely watches Fox News because its shows are very white supremacist.
Carter explained that in Fox News' coverage of criminal stories, if a suspect of a crime is white, they will downplay it. If the suspect is of African descent, they will report the entire crime in great detail, revealing information about and appearance of the suspect.
She regards Fox as a racially biased media.
Provocative on China
Armando Fajarto, a teacher at a public school of Arlington county, Virginia, told the Global Times that he seldom watches mainstream news channels in the United States, and has little interest in either CNN or Fox.
It's filled with confrontation, conflict and name-calling, he explained, adding that CNN is constantly attacking Trump, while Fox is constantly berating liberal media outlets and defending Trump.
Such news reports have lost their objectivity and become mouthpieces for different interest groups in the US, he said.
Fajarto personally disagreed with Fox's coverage of China. In his view, the phrase "made in China" enjoys a global reputation for cheap and good-quality products, and Americans like him benefit from China-US trade.
However, China is always blamed in Fox's reports, which are extremely provocative, he said.
Yu Guoming, executive director of the School of Journalism and Communication at Beijing Normal University, told the Global Times that compared to the majority of TV networks in the US, Fox adopts a more populist style which appeals to the public more successfully than TV networks like CNN.
The hosts sometimes use slang and intense and emotional language might also be used, unlike most news programs and traditional reporting styles, Yu explained.
Yu pointed out: "Although this approach has been controversial in the American press, it is welcome in today's relatively populist climate. Some other TV stations in the US are also adopting Fox's reporting style to add so-called emotional color."
Yu believes that Fox's influence on the American public is significant and reflects its current level of understanding on political issues in the US.
"As far as I know, the general public of the United States has a limited understanding of China. From the dialogue between Liu Xin and Trish Regan, it can be seen that Trish, as an influential TV host, knows so little about China, which partly reflects the American public's understanding of China," Yu said.
"So we have to use effective communication and public diplomacy to get the American public to know more about China, beyond the current rigid, narrow views and distorted contexts," he added.
Newspaper headline: Tool of the PARTY
Posted in: IN-DEPTH