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Donald Trump, Ex-President
"It's a terrible situation, it could destroy our country."
Appearances like this have become rare: In April, the US TV broadcaster Fox News received Donald Trump from the most popular presenter, Sean Hannity.
The ex-president was allowed to speak about the wall to Mexico.
It almost looked like the old days - when Trump dominated the reporting every day.
Curd Knüpfer, political scientist at the John F. Kennedy Institute, FU Berlin
“In the morning he usually watched Fox and Friends and then helped set the agenda. And of course that is interesting and lucrative for a broadcaster, which in principle then makes the quota because other broadcasters are forced to watch it. Of course, that fizzles out as soon as you stop talking to the incumbent. "
The former president's house broadcaster isn't doing too well compared to the golden days: Fox News lost 45% of its viewers in one year.
However, the direct competition is not doing well either: CNN lost 42% of its viewers in the same period, MSNBC had to accept a minus of 25%.
One reason for the falling audience: the new incumbent.
With Joe Biden a constant media excitement cannot be generated.
Joe Biden, US President
"I'll make myself a coffee, eat some yogurt with muesli - and then I'll get to work."
December 2020
Fox is Fake News!
Many of the loyal Trump supporters had turned their backs on Fox News after the broadcaster recognized Biden's election.
This clientele heads for providers such as OAN, One American News Network.
Here they get to hear what they want to hear:
“Donald Trump will get his second term in office.
And America will be greater than ever. "
The special interest broadcaster Newsmax is even more successful.
With presenter Greg Kelly, the station was even able to get more viewers than Fox News - again with an extremely crude strategy:
Greg Kelly Show
“All I can say is, the fake news just doesn't get it.
And now the fake news is doing everything to make January 6th, 2021 look like Pearl Harbor. "
November 2020
Newsmax CEO Christopher Ruddy already felt himself to be a potential winner in the battle for viewers.
CNBC presenter
"Are you going to replace Fox News or compete with them for this market?" Christopher Ruddy, CEO Newsmax "The cable news market is a $ 6 billion market. Fox has half of it. They never had competition. We are the first. "
The station's workhorse, Greg Kelly, draws a lot of viewers.
The rest of the program is still meager.
Curd Knüpfer, political scientist, John F. Kennedy Institute, FU Berlin
»I can see that competition is emerging when it comes to increasingly radical content. More and more opinion towards this "Republican fringe". But I don't see any serious competition from OAN or Newsmax when it comes to really penetrating this cable TV branch, to be included in the cable packages - that is also an important factor - in the United States, so that one even gets this station. Everywhere there, Fox News is much better positioned than these competing programs. "
To keep its dwindling audience happy, Fox added some of the Trump insiders to its ranks.
Daughter-in-law Lara Trump recently joined the Fox team.
In her online show "The Right View" she already showed what to expect:
Donald Trump, former US President
"Twitter has gotten so boring." Lara Trump, presenter "Because you are no longer there! They miss you! " Donald Trump, former US President " They say it's gotten boring. And a lot of people are leaving Twitter. "
The hardcore Trumpists, who stormed the US Capitol on January 6th on behalf of their President, were already on alternative platforms for a long time.
And they - like the rest of the more than 70 million Trump voters - still need to be reached. The legacy of the ex-president remains a huge challenge - not only for the struggling US broadcasters.
Curd Knüpfer, political scientist at the John F. Kennedy Institute, FU Berlin
“My personal appeal to journalists is that even without the man in the White House, one must keep an eye on this sphere. So there have to be correspondents who dare to venture into this Fox News echo chamber and who work through what is being said on Breitbart et cetera and who watch the movements on the street that are becoming more and more right-wing extremists, more militant, and often not in front Write back gun violence, what they do. We mustn't let any blind spots arise, I think there are still a lot of stories that have to be dealt with journalistically. "
