Fox & Friends

Fox & Friends
Name	Fox & Friends
Genre	Morning news/talk
Presenter	See Hosts and notable contributors
Country	United States
Language	English
Company	Fox News Channel
Network	Fox News Channel
First aired	1998
Status	Ongoing

Fox & Friends

Fox & Friends is an American morning news and talk program broadcast on Fox News Channel, combining broadcast news features, interviews, and commentary. The program airs on weekday mornings and has become a significant fixture in U.S. media, intersecting with figures from politics, business, entertainment, and sports. Its format, hosts, audience demographics, and contentious role in national discourse have generated extensive coverage across outlets such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal.

Overview

Fox & Friends debuted on Fox News Channel in 1998 during a period when cable news programs such as CNN Saturday Morning, MSNBC Live, and Good Morning America competed for morning audiences. The show is produced from studios in New York City and has featured live segments, feature reporting, panel discussions, and interviews with figures from United States presidential administrations, Congress, state governments like Texas, and advocacy groups such as the National Rifle Association. Its editorial tone often aligns with commentators and organizations including Sean Hannity, Tucker Carlson, The Heritage Foundation, and American Enterprise Institute.

Format and segments

The program uses a mix of hard-news reporting and opinion-driven segments similar to morning shows on networks like ABC News and NBC News. Regular elements include headlines, weather inserts referencing services such as The Weather Channel, traffic reports relevant to Interstate 95 commuters, feature interviews with politicians from Republican Party and Democratic Party delegations, business updates referencing companies like Apple Inc., Amazon, and ExxonMobil, and lifestyle pieces involving personalities from The Oprah Winfrey Show, Ellen DeGeneres Show, and Today (U.S. TV program). Recurring segments have included political panels with commentators from The Weekly Standard, National Review, The Nation, and pundits associated with news outlets like Bloomberg L.P. and Reuters.

Hosts and notable contributors

Over time the program’s roster has included anchors, journalists, and contributors who later became prominent in media and politics. Notable personalities who have appeared or served as hosts include former contributors linked to Fox News Sunday, personalities with ties to Conservative Political Action Conference, and journalists who worked at outlets such as CNN, NPR, The New York Post, and Time (magazine). Guests, interviewees, and recurring contributors have ranged from Donald Trump and members of his administrations (including figures from White House staff) to lawmakers like Mitch McConnell, Nancy Pelosi, and governors such as Ron DeSantis and Andrew Cuomo. Regular guest commentators have included authors and analysts from institutions like Brookings Institution, Cato Institute, Center for American Progress, and universities such as Harvard University, Yale University, and Stanford University.

Audience, ratings, and distribution

The program airs weekdays on Fox News Channel and is distributed via cable and satellite providers including Comcast, DirecTV, and Dish Network, as well as streaming platforms operated by Fox Corporation. Nielsen ratings have tracked viewership alongside competitors such as MSNBC, CNN, and network programs produced by NBCUniversal and Disney–ABC Television Group. Demographic analyses by outlets like Pew Research Center and industry reports reference audience composition in comparisons with programs such as Morning Joe and CBS Mornings. Syndication, highlights, and clips frequently circulate on platforms operated by YouTube, Twitter (now X), and Facebook.

Controversies and criticism

The program has been the subject of criticism and controversy stemming from its editorial choices, guest selection, and fact-checking practices. Media watchdogs and journalists from PolitiFact, FactCheck.org, The Atlantic, and ProPublica have criticized segments for alleged inaccuracies and partisan framing. High-profile disputes involved interviews and segments concerning events such as the 2020 United States presidential election, responses to the COVID-19 pandemic involving public health officials from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and World Health Organization, and coverage of international crises such as the Iraq War and tensions with Russia. Legal and ethical scrutiny has implicated company executives and contributors connected to Fox Corporation in controversies covered by outlets like The New York Times and legal reporting in The Wall Street Journal.

Influence and political impact

The program has been recognized for its influence on political messaging, agenda-setting, and direct communication between media personalities and elected officials. Political scientists and commentators at institutions such as Columbia University, Princeton University, and think tanks including American Enterprise Institute and Brookings Institution have analyzed its role in shaping public discourse. The program’s interactions with presidents, campaigns, and political operatives—paralleling moments involving figures like Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and Ronald Reagan—have made it a recurring subject in studies of media influence on electoral politics, policy debates, and partisan polarization.

Category:American television news shows