Fox News / Fox Business
U.S. right
Background
Fox News launched in 1996 under Roger Ailes with backing from Rupert Murdoch's News Corp, built explicitly to counter a perceived liberal tilt in mainstream media, and grew into the top-rated U.S. cable news network. In 2019 the Murdoch media empire split, placing Fox News and Fox Business under the newly formed Fox Corporation, separate from 21st Century Fox's entertainment assets sold to Disney. The network has faced major controversies, including a $787.5 million defamation settlement with Dominion Voting Systems in 2023 over false 2020 election-fraud claims aired by hosts and guests, and years of sexual harassment allegations that led to Ailes' 2016 ouster. Rupert Murdoch stepped back from day-to-day control after a 2025 family legal battle over trust succession, with son Lachlan Murdoch now holding voting control of Fox Corporation through at least 2050. Editorially, Fox News and Fox Business have consistently favored conservative and Republican perspectives, and were widely seen as Trump's most sympathetic major network during his first term. In his second term, the relationship has grown more complicated: Fox joined a press-freedom pool-coverage stoppage after Trump banned several other outlets, and hosts including Laura Ingraham and Jesse Watters have publicly criticized administration decisions on Iran and other issues, even as Trump continues to treat Fox as his preferred outlet and press for favorable coverage.
Sources
- Fox Corporation
- Who Owns Fox News? Fox Corporation and the Murdochs - LegalClarity
- Fox News could suffer the most under Trump's press crackdown - Salon.com
- Fox pulled the plug on Trump; the administration can now pull the guests - Washington Times
- "Say we did a great job": Trump demands glowing reviews from Fox News after first Cabinet meeting - Yahoo News
Profile compiled 2026-09-30; refreshed when ownership, funding, or the administration changes.