What Led Fox News to Embrace Propaganda

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.”