Is Fox News intentionally trying to go the way of BuzzFeed News? Why does it seem that Fox is intentionally handicapping their network to give CNN a fighting chance?

Around 2002, when the Gulf War was in full swing in Iraq, news coverage by ABC, CBS, and NBC was greatly lacking. For a couple of weeks, Fox News ran one-hour broadcasts from their national cable news program on local Fox affiliates. It was genius marketing. This temporary broadcasting experiment sufficiently whetted the appetite of viewers, who had grown tired of the mainstream news programs. A few weeks later, when DISH Network offered a package that included Fox News for about $26 a month, I became a subscriber.

Their “fair and balanced” programming was multifaceted. They offered straight news as well as commentary programs, like “Hannity & Colmes” as well as personalities like Bill O’Reilly and, years later, Glenn Beck. Those broadcasts were an obvious counterbalance to the left-leaning lineup of shows on CNN, MSNBC, CNBC, ABC, NBC, and CBS.

Americans were hungry for something outside the biased echo chamber. Rupert Murdoch and Roger Ailes of Fox News weren’t necessarily conservatives. They were, however, brilliant businessmen and opportunists. They saw this great opportunity created from a pendulum swing in the news that was being held to one side like a kid with a tree rope who refused to swing over the river. Consequently, Fox News made more money than a pajama salesman in the North Pole. At one point, Fox bragged they had more viewers than all their competition combined.

Scandals surrounding Roger Ailes led to his departure shortly before his death. The liberal leanings of Rupert Murdoch and his family soon became more recognized. With his family influencing more of Murdoch’s empire, Fox has gradually shifted from “fair and balanced” to “CNN Light.” Over the years, many good journalists and conservative commentators have departed Fox. After settling a lawsuit out of court last week with Dominion Voting Systems, to the tune of over $750 million, sweeping changes began at the network. Almost immediately, Fox parted ways with Dan Bongino. Now, their most popular primetime anchor is gone. On Monday, Fox News announced that Tucker Carlson aired his last program the previous week.

Do you remember the comedic Norwegian brothers, Ylvis, who had the hit song in 2013? Maybe they should compose another song titled “What Does the Dying Fox Say?”

In April of 2017, Fox fired Bill O’Reilly. They lost some viewers, but the cloud of controversy surrounding Bill was complicated and alternative networks were still relatively unknown. Remember, this was just a few months into Trump’s presidency. As Fox continued to marginalize the sitting president, COVID hit the American shores, and conservatives had enough. They began seeking news where journalists asked hard questions and investigated like the free press our Constitution protects.

As mission creep has eroded Fox, the emergence of other networks has welcomed viewers on places like Newsmax, One America News Network, and Real America’s Voice. These new networks have an obvious bias, but they admit it. On the Left, mainstream news programs deceptively gaslight their viewers with a perception of remaining objective when the facts tell a different story. If they aren’t spewing leftist ideologies outright, they camouflage a few kernels of truth in blankets of lies.

In this evolutionary age of mass media overload, if you fail your audience, they leave. There are now plenty of alternatives. You can try to win them back, but as AT&T and DirecTV are learning, it’s a very costly lesson. Even though they have signed a new carriage agreement with Newsmax, most DirecTV customers who tossed their satellite dishes in dissatisfaction will never go back.

This week, Fox News is losing a significant portion of its viewers. I can’t help but wonder if they will go the way of BuzzFeed News, who once had a great following and is now sitting atop the trash heap of discarded media feeds.

Do you remember the story of the two men about to be attacked by a bear? One bends down to tie his sneakers, and the other guy asks, “What are you thinking? We can’t outrun the bear.” That’s when the first guy says, “I only have to outrun you.” In this alternate reality where people identify as something they are not, the bear in question identifies as a Fox.

How long before Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham, and Greg Gutfeld disappear from the network? When will Fox News become a full member of the Democratic Press Pool, also known as the mainstream media?

Contractual clauses typically prevent news personalities from resurfacing immediately on another network. Tucker will reemerge with a huge audience. He became the top individual anchor on Fox because he lived out his convictions on and off the air. When others expected him to cower to leftist ideologues, he remained undeterred. Until he returns to the airways, don’t be surprised if critics do everything to slander his reputation.

What lesson can Christians and conservatives take from this?

• First, liberals will use conservatives to make money, as Ailes and Murdock did.
• Next, leftists will never play fair. They will game the system to change the rules and silence their opposition who threatens to expose them.

Isaiah 5:20 warns us of leftist ideology, which includes much of the mainstream media’s messaging, where it reads, “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!”

Calling leftist ideology evil may seem hyperbolic on the surface. God describes murdering the innocent and child sacrifice evil. John the Baptist confronted Herod the Tetrarch, a political leader, for redefining marriage as something other than God intended. Angered by his boldness, Herod and his new wife, who also happened to be his sister-in-law and niece, ordered John’s execution. Many Scripture passages caution against adding or detracting from God’s word, his instruction for all people. Still, leftist ideology misuses Scripture to promote abortion, redefine marriage, and create many laws that are anti-biblical. Revelation 22 expressly warns that anyone who alters that prophecy will suffer the plagues described within the book. Is God using hyperbole when he calls something evil?

We must not cave to fear, gaslighting, virtue signaling, and massive lies. We must stand as truth seekers exposing light where others spread deception and promote darkness. We must influence public policy that reflects good and godly values. Remember, the Left will always use their core values, their deeply held personal and religious beliefs, to influence culture and policy. They may not call it religious beliefs, but they adhere to an atrocious set of values and force them on others, like the zealots in the days of Jesus.

Finally, we need to support honest journalism. We must investigate and support candidates who best reflect our values. Then, come election time, show up en masse, overwhelming the system with decisive victories.