Is this a "Fox News debate?" Well, no, because it is live on EVERY big channel and website tonight. But in a broader sense, yes it is. #Thread time...
Tonight's moderator, Chris Wallace, stands alone at Fox. His Sunday program primarily airs on broadcast, not Fox News. He has his own producers. He has said that he doesn't regularly watch the right-wing talk shows that make Fox #1 in the cable ratings.
But here's the thing: Everyone at Fox is affected, in some way, by the Trump-Fox merger. Everyone "feels" it. The pressure from the audience, the pressure from management, the expectation that Fox will be "fair" to Trump – and I don't mean "fair" in the good faith definition.
In HoaxTheBook.com, I wrote that Wallace, Bret Baier and Shep Smith "felt they were working from the inside to preserve some space for news as Trump and Hannity gained power at Fox." There IS still space for news – but year by year Fox's news has turned Trumpier, too.
In February Wallace was asked "Do you ever think that Fox News is using the quality of your work to truth-wash prime time?" Wallace insisted there's a "firewall" between news and opinion. But I saw the wall come down brick by brick. So did the Fox insiders who told me about it 👇
Despite all we know about Trump, Fox's news leaders still largely treat him like any other GOP prez, giving him the benefit of the doubt, assuming the best, excusing the worst. This tilts the scales big time, treating lies and crazy talk like it is legit, aiding the propaganda.
So, with all this in mind, a few days ago I said to one of Wallace's friends, is this a "Fox debate?" They said "it's a Chris Wallace debate, and his esteemed masterful moderating record speaks for itself." Wallace DOES have an impressive moderating record. But...
This is a "Fox debate" because Fox has shaped the political and media environment in ways that help Trump – for example by letting the news-opinion wall come down. Watch tonight: Will Fox rigorously fact-check the candidates right after the debate? Let's see. /end
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