Why Fox News Downgraded To 'Red' According To Newsguard?
Media watchdog Newsguard has reduced Fox News' credibility rating to "red," indicating that it "fails to adhere to several basic journalistic standards." Since the ratings company's debut in 2018, Fox has received an overall passing grade but during the July 2022 report, Fox News downgraded to a red score.
Author:Iram MartinsReviewer:Elisa MuellerNov 29, 202245.9K Shares937.9K Views
Media watchdog Newsguardhas reduced Fox News' credibility rating to "red," indicating that it "fails to adhere to several basic journalistic standards."
Since the ratings company's debut in 2018, Fox has received an overall passing grade but during the July 2022 report, Fox News downgraded to a red score.
Newsguard made news at the beginning of 2019 for assigning Mail Online a "red" rating; however, the rating was quickly overturned, and the website now has a green rating.
Prior to the downgrade on July 18, Fox had already failed one important criterion, "gathers and presents information responsibly."
Fox News Downgraded Score
The score was further reduced and Fox News downgraded because of Newsguard's determination that Fox's website no longer adhered to its standards for providing corrections.
"In previous reviews of foxnews.com, Newsguard found that while the site had published false claims on significant topics that were uncorrected, that because foxnews.com regularly published other corrections, and because the false claims did not appear to occur frequently, foxnews.com did not fail Newsguard’s standard for having effective corrections practices."
The credibility rater now claims that it has discovered "that foxnews.com published uncorrected significantly false claims at a much more frequent rate than in previous reviews"
Newsguard stated that several of these untrue statements occurred in Fox's coverage of COVID-19 and the results of the 2020 US presidential election.
7.5 points are awarded for complying with the company's criterion for ownership disclosure. It carries 22 not to "repeatedly publishing false content." Any score below 60 is considered a "red" overall failing score, and a site receives a full score of 100 points if it meets all requirements.
Fox News' score was amended last July 2022 and dropped 12.5 points; it now stands at 57.
Fox, according to the company, has "has advanced false and misleading claims about topics including the Jan 6 2021 attack on the US Capitol, the Russia-Ukraine war, Covid-19 and US politics," which is another way in which Fox fails Newsguard's standards for "gathering and presenting information responsibly."
According to Newsguard, it "does not distinguish between news and opinionated video content on a section of the homepage, occasionally publishes unlabelled opinion and frequently covers US political and cultural stories from a conservative perspective that it does not disclose." This earned it its third and final failing grade for "responsibly handling the separation of news and opinion."
Between September 2021 and June 2022, Newsguard claims to have sent seven emails to a Fox News spokesperson seeking comment on its assertions. Despite calling them, Newsguard claims to have not received a response.
In response to a request for comment regarding the revision, Fox News Media stated:
“„Newsguard is a for-profit organisation operating under the guise of an objective public service. Their management and editorial teams rely heavily on left-leaning sourcing to attempt to silence diversity of thought in the media. Fox News is proud of the coverage we provide our dedicated viewers, which is why we attract the most politically diverse audience in cable news.- Fox News Media
Statement By NewsGuard On The Updated Ratings Of Fox News And MSNBC
The basic, apolitical journalistic standards for which NewsGuard's team of analysts rates all the news and information websites that account for 98% of engagement in the United States have been found to be less frequently followed in recent years, according to the analysts at NewsGuard.
The Fox News and MSNBC websites are graded red for the first time since NewsGuard's inception in 2018, which denotes that they each received a score of fewer than 60 out of 100. When reading content from these websites, their readers are advised to exercise caution.
The content of the websites themselves was previously much less reflective of any such political agenda and did not regularly involve the spreading of false information, even though the actual programming on each television outlet was frequently contentious and viewed critically by many, especially those with political views contrary to those featured on much of the programming.
In both instances, NewsGuard analysts have discovered that the websites are now so widely published and heavily promoted that a sizeable portion of the website's content fails to adhere to basic journalistic practices. The most opinionated programming on cable outlets is now so extensively published and heavily promoted on the websites.
On these websites, which are now widely accessible and promoted, you can also find website articles that summarize or highlight televised content, frequently by the publisher's most well-known opinion hosts.
In the case of Fox News, the website features excellent news reporting from its news providers, including reports from the conflict in Ukraine. But the label also lists numerous untrue and inaccurate factual statements made on shows hosted by Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham, Maria Bartiromo, and Jeanine Pirro about issues like the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, the U.S. elections, and COVID-19.
The site no longer complies with NewsGuard's requirement for frequently erasing and clarifying errors as a result of its failure to retract numerous instances of untrue statements made by the hosts, according to this week's update. The website is currently 57 out of 100 points.
People Also Ask
Why Did Newsguard Downgrade The Fox News Score?
It is because "in previous reviews of foxnews.com, Newsguard found that while the site had published false claims on significant topics that were uncorrected, that because foxnews.com regularly published other corrections, and because the false claims did not appear to occur frequently, foxnews.com did not fail Newsguard’s standard for having effective corrections practices."
What Is Newsguard?
Reviews of news websites are rated by Newsguard using nine criteria, each of which is worth a certain number of points. These reviews are published as "Nutrition Labels."
Does Fox News Have Good Ratings?
Yes, Fox News Channel easily defeated CNN and MSNBC in the cable news ratings for August 2022, finishing the month as the third-highest-rated network overall on television. Fox News Channel also narrowly edged out ABC during prime time. Fox averaged 2.3 million viewers overall during primetime, with 311,000 of them belonging to the crucial 25–54 age group.
Final Statement
Fox News downgraded to a red score last July 2022 as it fails to adhere to several basic journalistic standards according to NewsGuard report. However, even with this adversity, Fox News still managed to be the third-highest-rated network on television on August 2022.
Iram Martins
Author
Iram Martins is a seasoned travel writer and explorer with over a decade of experience in uncovering the world's hidden gems. Holding a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Management from the University of Lisbon, Iram's credentials highlight his authority in the realm of travel.
As an author of numerous travel guides and articles for top travel publications, his writing is celebrated for its vivid descriptions and practical insights.
Iram’s passion for cultural immersion and off-the-beaten-path adventures shines through in his work, captivating readers and inspiring wanderlust.
Outside of his writing pursuits, Iram enjoys learning new languages, reviewing films and TV shows, writing about celebrity lifestyles, and attending cultural festivals.
Elisa Mueller
Reviewer
Elisa Mueller, a Kansas City native, grew up surrounded by the wonders of books and movies, inspired by her parents' passion for education and film.
She earned bachelor's degrees in English and Journalism from the University of Kansas before moving to New York City, where she spent a decade at Entertainment Weekly, visiting film sets worldwide.
With over 8 years in the entertainment industry, Elisa is a seasoned journalist and media analyst, holding a degree in Journalism from NYU. Her insightful critiques have been featured in prestigious publications, cementing her reputation for accuracy and depth.
Outside of work, she enjoys attending film festivals, painting, writing fiction, and studying numerology.
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