Rise, Fall and Rise Again: The Fox News vs. Newsmax Saga
Following a town hall on September 4, 2024, Sean Hannity of Fox News engaged in a conversation with Donald Trump. Fox News, owned by Rupert Murdoch, faced significant backlash in the initial phase due to Trump’s Big Lie. Being one of the leading media channels to declare Joe Biden as the victor from Arizona on the 2020 election night, it profoundly infuriated President Trump. Subsequently, he initiated an extensive campaign to discredit the conservative network.
Long-time Fox News watcher, Jenny Brethen, who had shown loyalty to the channel for two decades, switched over to Newsmax the next day after the 2020 election. In an interview with the Washington Post, Jenny stated that a channel that could act in such a manner is certainly concluded for her. Jenny was among 15 other people who transitioned from Fox to other channels; this change was covered by the Post as a noticeable surge in Newsmax’s audience following the election.
These events occurred in the wake of Trump encouraging his followers to change their source of news. Newsmax seemed to be taking advantage of the growing dissatisfaction among conservative viewers with Fox. There was also a speculation that it was an effort from President Trump’s admirers to sustain the dwindling narrative that he would eventually secure a second tenure, regardless of Biden’s imminent assumption to the presidency.
Newsmax had been operational since 2014 and embarked on a mission to attract as many leading figures from Fox News as feasible. It managed to persuade veteran hosts such as Greta Van Susteren, Eric Bolling, Greg Kelly, Ed Henry, and Rob Schmidt to move to the venture owned by Chris Ruddy. However, Fox didn’t stay passive during this transition.
In response to the viewer upheaval caused by their 2020 election report and the Arizona result, Fox decided to pander to Trump and his MAGA followers. Steps were taken to sideline voices that cast doubts on Trump, like anchor Neil Cavuto and politics editor Chris Stirewalt. In contrast, they chose to onboard Trump’s daughter-in-law, Lara, and the ex-White House press secretary, Kayleigh McEnany.
Donald Trump revealed his plans to rerun for presidency in November 2022. He comprehended the necessity to mend terms with Fox News if he wanted to stand any chance. As a high-profile gesture, four months later, he agreed to be interviewed extensively by Sean Hannity, marking his return to Fox.
Following his inauguration, Fox News ratings have experienced a significant rise. This surge in ratings was highlighted by the New York Times, who reported that Fox News viewership has surpassed every other network channel, including ABC, CBS, and NBC, throughout the whole summer timeframe. Trump’s second administration incorporated nearly two dozen employees previously affiliated with Fox News.
This development left the executives of Newsmax feeling overlooked. This week they lodged a case at the U.S District Court for the Southern District of Florida, presided over by Judge Aileen Cannon. However, the Judge dismissed Newsmax’s suit and advised the network to refile by September 11th.
Newsmax was seeking triple the amount in damages they believed they had incurred, though the actual figure wasn’t clearly mentioned in the lawsuit. Referencing messages from Fox that had been revealed in the defamation lawsuit filed by Dominion Voting Systems, Newsmax pointed out Fox’s hostile stance towards them. The messages showed Fox News president Jay Wallace informing CEO Suzanne Scott that they were at odds with Newsmax, while Tucker Carlson alerted about the potential damage a Network like Newsmax could cause.
In response, Newsmax CEO Chris Ruddy expressed his concern in a CNBC interview. He questioned the rationale behind Fox investing considerable time, energy, and resources attempting to subdue, hinder, and degrade them if Newsmax was truly a rating disaster. As per Ruddy, the answer was glaringly apparent.
Nonetheless, Fox News demonstrated its resilience, proving too formidable a player in the media landscape for individuals such as Trump, or networks like Newsmax, to disrupt. Following the dismissal of Newsmax’s lawsuit by Judge Cannon, the prerogative for further action now rests with Newsmax.
Looking back, Fox News demonstrated its ability to reinvent itself and regain its viewer base despite the challenges it faced after the 2020 election. Even though initially it experienced a drop in viewership, its strategic decisions in the aftermath helped it recover and even exceed its previous rating records.
Newsmax’s aggressive campaigning to lure viewers from Fox might have seemed successful at the beginning, but the switch by Murdoch’s network towards a more pro-Trump line-up managed to negate these efforts. This situation confirms the adage that only time will decide who remains standing, no matter how turbulent the initial changes may seem.
The transition of Trump’s adherents to Newsmax had potentially created an opportunity for this smaller news outfit to compete with the titans of conservative news media. It skillfully capitalized on conservative sentiments and managed to secure big names from the Fox roster.
However, as time passed and Trump’s 2024 candidacy became more real, Fox positioned itself as the bridge between his administration and his conservative base. It managed to win back many viewers and maintain its stronghold in the conservative media sector.
In the end, this story not only shows the cutthroat competition in the media industry but also how quickly fortunes can change. Newsmax, despite initial gains, found itself underperforming compared to Fox News. Meanwhile, Fox emerged victorious, having faced the storm and sailed through, standing stronger than ever.