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submitted 2 days ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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[-] [email protected] 91 points 2 days ago

Reminder that Fox News was created in the wake of Watergate specifically because media coverage of the scandal went from non-existent to shifting public opinion against it in weeks. It was created to be a dedicated Republican party propaganda platform to prevent that from ever happening again.

[-] [email protected] 46 points 2 days ago

Nixon aides wanted a pro-administration network, and some of them were eventually instrumental in getting Fox News going, but it took over 20 years between Watergate and the launch of FNC.

[-] [email protected] 7 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

Yeah, I think they mean Whitewater, the fake scandal fishing expedition that led to the Lewinsky thing..

[-] [email protected] 3 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

No they meant watergate, Roger Ailes, the founding CEO of Fox News, was Nixon’s media guy during watergate.

[-] [email protected] 2 points 1 day ago

Yes, but he didn't create Faux News right after that. It launched in the 90s

[-] [email protected] 2 points 1 day ago

For sure, but Watergate was specifically the spark that inspired them.

The comment you replied to included the caveat “eventually”, but the whitewater scandal was almost the opposite, as it was largely the right wing looking for scandals to promote on places like Fox News.

[-] [email protected] 4 points 2 days ago

It was created to be a dedicated Republican party propaganda platform

It worked too well.

this post was submitted on 28 Jun 2025
613 points (98.9% liked)

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