Fox News (FNC) is a ratings powerhouse, a fact confirmed by a recent Pew Research Center survey. This survey highlights the network's high level of trust among right-leaning consumers. Among Republicans and Republican-leaning independents, 56% trust FNC as a news source, compared to 21% who distrust it. This significantly surpasses other outlets; ABC News scored 26%, NBC News 25%, and CBS News 23%. Even "The Joe Rogan Experience" managed only 31%.
An earlier 2025 Pew study indicated that 38% of Americans regularly get information from FNC, similar to ABC News (36%) and NBC News (35%). Notably, 18% of Democrats or left-of-center independents are included in this figure. However, overall, 37% of adults trust FNC, while 42% distrust it—the highest distrust rating among the brands surveyed. This distrust is markedly higher among Democrats (64% distrust, 19% trust), reaching 78% among liberal Democrats.
Pew noted FNC's significantly higher distrust rating than Newsmax, "Rogan," and Breitbart, but cautioned this might be due to greater familiarity with FNC. The survey only asked respondents familiar with a brand if they trusted it. Pew's methodology revealed that FNC's audience leans right, but the audiences of "Rogan," The Daily Wire, Newsmax, Tucker Carlson, and Breitbart lean even further right. This is partially attributed to a larger share of Democrats getting news from FNC than these other sources.
FNC's viewership is notably higher among older age groups: 47% of Americans age 65 or older, and 45% of those aged 50 to 64, regularly get information from FNC. These rates decline to 32% for the 30-49 age range and 28% for those under 30. This aligns with the general trend of younger audiences consuming less television news. Trust levels also correlate with age and political affiliation; 76% of Republicans aged 65 and older trust FNC, compared to 41% of Republicans under 30 and around 20% of Democrats under 30.
Before the 2024 election, half of Americans considered FNC a major or minor source of political information (22% major, 28% minor). Among Republicans, 69% cited FNC as at least a minor source, compared to 32% of Democrats. In open-ended questions about their main source, FNC received 13% of responses, followed by CNN (10%), local TV news (6%), and ABC News (5%). While 22% of those aged 65 and older named FNC as their main source, only 5% of those under 30 did so.
FNC's right-leaning stance is well-known, although OAN and Newsmax lean further right. Owned by Rupert Murdoch, FNC has faced criticism for its hosts' handling of facts, including conspiracy theories and misinformation. The $787 million settlement with Dominion Voting Systems, acknowledging false claims about the company’s technology, illustrates this. A $2.7 billion defamation suit from Smartmatic is still pending.
Supporters defend FNC's right to air commentary and opinion, a practice mirrored by other outlets. Some see FNC as a necessary conservative voice, while critics point to its flashy style and potential exploitation of viewers' understanding of news versus commentary.