Political Wire

  • Front Page
  • Members
    • Subscribe
    • Sign In
  • Trending
  • Resources
    • Politics Extra
    • Political Job Hunt
    • Political Dictionary
    • Electoral Vote Map
  • Newsletter
  • Contact Us
You are here: Home / Media Buzz / What Led Fox News to Embrace Propaganda

Members Get the Full Experience

  • Exclusive analysis you won’t find elsewhere
  • Real-time trending page
  • Private Trial Balloon podcast
  • No ads

Become a member. Already a member? Log in.


What Led Fox News to Embrace Propaganda

August 25, 2020 at 8:42 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

The New York Times reviews Hoax by Brian Stelter, which is out today.

“Stelter is at his best when he is explaining the underlying forces that led Fox to embrace propaganda. (Once upon a time, he writes, Fox had a journalistic culture.) Part of the reason is money. Fox News makes nearly $2 billion a year. Its intensely loyal audience allows the channel to charge more for advertising and in fees assessed by cable companies. Inciting viewers is crucial for keeping ratings high.”

“But there is another force at play. Many Fox employees view their job as catering to the president… Stelter traces the Trump-Fox synergies to 2011, when Roger Ailes, the channel’s longtime boss, gave Trump a weekly phone-in slot on the Fox & Friends morning show. The platform provided him a direct line into the brains of millions of Republican primary voters.”

Sale
Hoax: Donald Trump, Fox News, and the Dangerous Distortion of Truth
Hoax: Donald Trump, Fox News, and the Dangerous Distortion of Truth
  • Hardcover Book
  • Stelter, Brian (Author)
  • English (Publication Language)
  • 368 Pages - 08/25/2020 (Publication Date) - Atria/One Signal Publishers (Publisher)
Amazon Prime
Check Price on Amazon
FavoriteLoadingSave to Favorites
  • Bluesky
  • X
  • Threads
  • Facebook
  • Email

Filed Under: Media Buzz, Political Books


You're reading the free version of Political Wire

Upgrade to a paid membership to unlock full access. The process is quick and easy. You can even use Apple Pay.

  • ✔ Become a member to get many great benefits -- exclusive analysis, trending news, a private podcast, no ads and more!
  • ✔ If you're already a member, log in for the full experience.



Recent Posts

Generational Change Roils the Congressional Black Caucus

January 25, 2026 at 3:05 pm EST

Politico: “A new generation of Black Democrats is running in the midterms, aiming to inject a younger vision into an aging Congressional Black Caucus. And in some cases, that means…

Vote Counting, Felon Voting and a Warning Sign

January 25, 2026 at 2:59 pm EST

Just for members: The latest issue of Ballot Access News. This issue covers a major Supreme Court ruling strengthening candidates’ rights to challenge election laws that produce inaccurate vote totals,…

What Trump Is Thinking About

January 25, 2026 at 1:22 pm ESTJanuary 25, 2026 at 1:27 pm EST

President Trump posted a long Truth Social rant about his new ballroom — amid devastating winter storms and fallout from federal agents shooting a protester in Minneapolis. He complained that…

Bonus Quote of the Day

January 25, 2026 at 1:18 pm EST

“There have been three killings in Minneapolis since the beginning of the year. Two have been committed by federal agents, one ICE, and the other border control. That’s what we’re…

China’s Top General Accused of Giving Secrets to U.S.

January 25, 2026 at 12:56 pm EST

“China’s senior-most general is accused of leaking information about the country’s nuclear-weapons program to the U.S. and accepting bribes for official acts, including the promotion of an officer to defense…

The Immigration Crackdown Meets the Camera

January 25, 2026 at 12:46 pm EST

President Trump has lost control of his immigration message. CNN reported Friday that Trump has been “privately frustrated” by the chaos in Minneapolis, which has begun to overwhelm his administration’s…

Quote of the Day

January 25, 2026 at 11:56 am EST

“I think the death of Americans, what we’re seeing on TV, it’s causing deep concerns over federal tactics and accountability. Americans don’t like what they’re seeing right now…. He’s getting…

Trump Won’t Attend Super Bowl

January 25, 2026 at 11:50 am EST

President Trump told the New York Post that he’s not going to the Super Bowl this year because “it’s just too far away.” The game is being played in Santa…

Ted Cruz Ridiculed Trump’s Tariffs in Secret Recordings

January 25, 2026 at 10:57 am ESTJanuary 25, 2026 at 10:58 am EST

“Sen. Ted Cruz, the Texas Republican eyeing a 2028 White House run, torched Vice President Vance and ridiculed President Trump’s tariff policy during private meetings with donors,” Axios reports. “The…

Eleanor Holmes Norton Won’t Run Again

January 25, 2026 at 10:56 am EST

“Eleanor Holmes Norton, Washington’s nonvoting delegate to the House for more than three decades, will not seek a 19th term in office,” Politico reports. “Norton’s campaign on Sunday filed a…

Videos Contradict U.S. Account of Minneapolis Shooting

January 25, 2026 at 8:55 am ESTJanuary 25, 2026 at 8:56 am EST

Federal agents claimed Alex Pretti forced their hand, alleging he “violently resisted” disarmament until the officers fired “defensive shots,” the Wall Street Journal reports. “Bystander footage appears to tell a…

Europe’s $1 Trillion Race to Build Back Its Defense Industry

January 25, 2026 at 8:47 am ESTJanuary 25, 2026 at 8:57 am EST

“President Trump’s overtures about acquiring Greenland are now reviving questions among the U.S.’s North Atlantic Treaty Organization allies over whether Europe can make enough of its own weapons to fight…

Labor Secretary’s Bodyguard Put on Leave Amid Probe

January 25, 2026 at 8:39 am EST

“A security officer assigned to protect Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer was placed on leave as officials investigate an alleged romantic relationship between them,” Bloomberg Law reports. Save to Favorites

Democratic Lawmaker Assaulted

January 25, 2026 at 8:32 am EST

Utah police arrested a man who allegedly shouted that Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-FL) would be deported before punching him in the face at a Sundance Film Festival event, CNN reports….

Trump Hosts ‘Melania’ Screening

January 25, 2026 at 8:29 am EST

“President Trump and first lady Melania Trump on Saturday night hosted a private screening of Melania, a new documentary about the first lady, according to the White House’s public calendar…

Trump Claims ‘Discombobulator’ Used to Capture Maduro

January 25, 2026 at 8:21 am EST

President Trump said the U.S. used a weapon he referred to as a “discombobulator” to capture then-Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro this month, but a senior US official said he’s likely…

Trump’s Return Supercharges Lobbying Revenues

January 25, 2026 at 8:18 am EST

“President Donald Trump’s second term is already delivering a massive payday for Washington’s top lobbying shops — especially those with close ties to the administration,” Politico reports. Save to Favorites

Trump’s Retreat on Greenland Shows Limits Still Exist

January 25, 2026 at 8:09 am ESTJanuary 25, 2026 at 8:26 am EST

Karen Tumulty: “President Donald Trump’s spectacular back-down from his demand that the United States be given ownership of Greenland, in which he had threatened punishing tariffs and military force, has…

They’re Monsters

January 25, 2026 at 7:22 am ESTJanuary 25, 2026 at 7:23 am EST

Paul Krugman: “It has been clear for a long time, to anyone willing to see, that the people running the federal government — Trump, Miller, Noem, Bovino and more —…

Republicans May Pull Homeland Security Funding

January 24, 2026 at 11:41 pm EST

“Bipartisan legislation to fund a broad swath of the government and avert a shutdown at the end of the week appeared to be in grave danger on Saturday, as key…

« Neighbor of Gun Wielding Couple Speaks Out
Trump Has Kind Words for CNN »

Your Account

Sign in

Members Only

  • Vote Counting, Felon Voting and a Warning Sign
  • The Immigration Crackdown Meets the Camera
  • Who Controls TikTok Now Matters More Than Ever
  • Young Voters Turn Hard Against Trump
  • Who Shot Greenland?

About Political Wire

goddard-bw-snapshotTaegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire, one of the earliest and most influential political web sites. He also runs Political Job Hunt, Electoral Vote Map and the Political Dictionary.

Goddard spent more than a decade as managing director and chief operating officer of a prominent investment firm in New York City. Previously, he was a policy adviser to a U.S. Senator and Governor.

Goddard is also co-author of You Won - Now What? (Scribner, 1998), a political management book hailed by prominent journalists and politicians from both parties. In addition, Goddard's essays on politics and public policy have appeared in dozens of newspapers across the country.

Goddard earned degrees from Vassar College and Harvard University. He lives in New York with his wife and three sons.

Goddard is the owner of Goddard Media LLC.

Praise for Political Wire

“There are a lot of blogs and news sites claiming to understand politics, but only a few actually do. Political Wire is one of them.”

— Chuck Todd, host of “Meet the Press”

“Concise. Relevant. To the point. Political Wire is the first site I check when I’m looking for the latest political nugget. That pretty much says it all.”

— Stuart Rothenberg, editor of the Rothenberg Political Report

“Political Wire is one of only four or five sites that I check every day and sometimes several times a day, for the latest political news and developments.”

— Charlie Cook, editor of the Cook Political Report

“The big news, delicious tidbits, pearls of wisdom — nicely packaged, constantly updated… What political junkie could ask for more?”

— Larry Sabato, Center for Politics, University of Virginia

“Political Wire is a great, great site.”

— Joe Scarborough, host of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe”

“Taegan Goddard has a knack for digging out political gems that too often get passed over by the mainstream press, and for delivering the latest electoral developments in a sharp, no frills style that makes his Political Wire an addictive blog habit you don’t want to kick.”

— Arianna Huffington, founder of The Huffington Post

“Political Wire is one of the absolute must-read sites in the blogosphere.”

— Glenn Reynolds, founder of Instapundit

“I rely on Taegan Goddard’s Political Wire for straight, fair political news, he gets right to the point. It’s an eagerly anticipated part of my news reading.”

— Craig Newmark, founder of Craigslist.

Copyright © 2026 · Goddard Media LLC | Privacy Policy | Corrections Policy

Political Wire ® is a registered trademark of Goddard Media LLC