Important to remember that Fox News is reporting the Comey story completely differently

[ancianita]

101. Just looking at the numbers, I don't see Fox as the major wielder of public influence that you do.

You:

It's important, I think, for us to be aware that this is not a fringe position. There are countless millions of people who rely on Fox as their only source of news and believe all other sources to be lying. The people in this category are not operating in the same reality than we are - and their numbers are not small.

Me: I'm not going to call it "fringe" but I'm pretty sure it's a minority position. Here's why.

They're 3.83 million. That's the highest count my research has shown me; Fox audience counts are actually lower. Regardless, that is not a big percentage of the American population, really, which is what, around 325 million.

And whether they or we 'feel' as if they're Big Numbers, I think, depends on which IHeartRadio areas you live in (formerly Channel One country), since many TV and radio operators get free syndication from this major right wing media conglomerate, along with Fox News.

What I think Fox is influential about is that they "get out in front of the facts" with a story frame; then later they present a sub-frame of the first story, and it tells listener/watchers that the rest of media is dishonest in their reactions to Fox's 'news,' and that Fox is the most "real" and trustworthy.

For Fox watchers it's the only media they're in front of daily, in every bar, coffee shop, hair salon or bus, air or train station. The common news exposure creates bubbles of agreement and bonding in communities. It becomes easy to believe Fox when it says that they are more "in the know" than coastal snobs. Usually the young of these areas have wider internet access, clearer outlooks, and often challenge or mitigate what we think is an unrelenting and powerful set of stories of world events.

You're not wrong in saying we should pay attention to Fox and its watchers. But Fox hasn't been as powerfully propagandistic as we fear, either. It gives feels. I'm not going to echo those here.

The real enemies whom I fear are the profiteers of government who care not if this country becomes a trade satellite -- with all the governmental trappings and business evils -- of Russia.

Just my two cents.