YouGov Poll: Majority of Americans Believe Fox News Knowingly Promoted Election Misinformation
Fox News has long been known for its conservative slant and often inflammatory rhetoric. However, during the 2020 election, the network's dissemination of misinformation reached new heights, leading to widespread concern and criticism, and eroding the public’s trust in government. However, a recent YouGov poll found that a majority of respondents believe that Fox News hosts knowingly spread false information about the election.
According to the YouGov poll conducted in April 2023, a majority of respondents believed that Fox News hosts spread false information about the 2020 election knowingly. Specifically, 51 percent of the 1,500 U.S. adults surveyed answered "yes" when asked if they thought Fox News hosts made comments about the election they knew were untrue.
The fact that a significant portion of respondents were "unsure" (29 percent) suggests that some people may have been confused or conflicted about the accuracy of Fox News's election coverage. However, the sizable majority who answered "yes" indicates that a significant number of Americans recognized Fox News's false reporting about the election. It's worth noting that these survey results were taken two years after the January 6 insurrection at the United States Capitol, which was fueled in part by false claims of election fraud propagated by Fox News and other right-wing media outlets.
The exact reactions of those who knew about Fox News's election misinformation are difficult to quantify, but it's safe to say that many people were concerned, outraged, or disillusioned. Even Fox News’ own executives lambasted the false claims behind the scenes. The erosion of trust in mainstream media and government institutions has been a growing trend in recent years, and Fox News's election coverage likely exacerbated these feelings for many Americans. Some viewers may have switched to other news sources, while others may have become more politically active or vocal in their criticism of Fox News.
One of the most egregious examples of Fox News's election misinformation occurred in the aftermath of the vote. Despite numerous court rulings and state certifications confirming Joe Biden's victory, Fox News hosts, led by former President Trump himself, continued to spread the baseless claim that the election was rigged or stolen. Next came the insurrection at the Capitol on January 6th, 2021, based on this lie.
In the wake of the insurrection and the ongoing fallout, Fox News has faced increasing scrutiny and legal challenges over its election coverage. In March 2021, Dominion Voting Systems, a company that provides voting machines to many U.S. states, sued Fox News for defamation after several of its hosts falsely claimed that the company had helped rig the election. In settlement talks, Fox News agreed to pay $787.5 million to resolve the lawsuit, an indication that the network acknowledges the harm caused by its false reporting, and to part ways with one of its chief anchors, Tucker Carlson, who had the highest ratings of any cable news show in history, continually feeding lies to an audience of millions.
However, despite this settlement, Fox News is still facing legal challenges from other voting systems companies. Smartmatic, another provider of voting technology, has filed a defamation lawsuit against Fox News over similar false claims made on air. While the trial for this case is not expected for several years, it highlights the ongoing legal and reputational risks faced by Fox News as a result of its election coverage.
The root of Fox News's election misinformation lies in its business model, which relies on stoking fear and outrage among its viewers to boost ratings and profits. By presenting a distorted view of reality, Fox News creates a loyal fan base that is eager to tune in and share their views with like-minded individuals. This creates an echo chamber that reinforces extreme beliefs and promotes distrust of mainstream institutions like the media and government.
Moving forward, it's crucial that media outlets like Fox News take responsibility for their role in spreading election misinformation–or that other outlets and companies continue to hold them accountable. It's also up to viewers to demand more from their news sources, and to seek out multiple perspectives and sources of information, though this seems like a losing battle considering the amount of viewers Fox News brings in on a weekly basis. The danger of erosion of trust in democracy is still very real, very present, and aided and abetted by Fox News.
