KARL ROVE: Fox News changed the media 30 years ago. The best is yet to come
Thirty years ago this week along came Fox News. On the news side, it aimed for fairness and balance in its coverage. And Fox News hosts have won respect.
Thirty years ago, on Oct. 7, 2026, Fox News burst on the scene. It arrived just in time.
Journalism as practiced in print, television and cable had become, on the national level, infected by subtle bias. Important stories went unreported because they didn’t fit into the mindset of a largely insular community. This community dominated the major national channels. It consisted of executives, producers, anchors, reporters, writers and researchers.
The closer these individuals were to the top of their networks, the more they tended to come from the same universities, live in the same towns, and socialize with each other. They tended to share liberal or left-of-center attitudes and biases that permeated their choice of stories and the nature of their coverage. They were mostly unaware of this bias. If they were aware, some didn’t care. They were in a position to set the agenda and shape the storyline and were happy to do so.
Then along came Fox News. On the news side, it aimed for fairness and balance. Its anchors and on-air personalities strove to cover issues and events that were important to the audience and the country, not just what advanced someone’s bias. Like most Americans, the news side of Fox consists of people who love our country, see her greatness as well as her challenges, and connect with people all across the nation who want fairness and balance.
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Over the years, these Fox News figures have won the respect of both competitors and the nation’s newsmakers. They’ve interviewed leaders of our country and the world. Fox anchors have been on the stage asking questions in presidential primary and general election debates involving both parties. Fox Sunday morning programs, both on the channel and on Fox Business, have become must-do stops for newsmakers and must-watch television for Americans who want to learn what is actually going on.
In all these settings, Fox News on-air personalities have raised important issues other networks ignored or downplayed. They’ve developed reputations as hard-working journalists who do their homework, know the facts and ask tough, fair questions of all who sit before their cameras.
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On the opinion side of Fox, the on-air personalities are conservative, patriotic, and proud of our country. They’re passionate about sharing their views. And as they strive for a respectful national conversation, they’re confident enough to share their studios with figures to the left of center.
That is why, for example, "The Five," originally an experiment to fill space while programming was rejiggered, has turned out to be such a popular and durable part of the Fox lineup. Imagine — people from the left and right talking about issues, often disagreeing and sometimes agreeing, but always doing so with empathy, intelligence, wit and, oh, yes, good humor!
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This combination of fair and balanced news coverage and an opinion voice for a large element of the country that was ignored — and, in some cases, looked down upon by those who ran the existing national media — has made for an exciting three decades for Fox. This network has become a vital part of America’s national dialogue, and I’ve been honored to be part of it since January 2008.
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The past 30 years of success for Fox News are just the start. What an exciting time lies ahead as the channel’s leadership encourages even greater efforts toward fair and balanced coverage of the big events affecting our country and the world.
Stay tuned. The best is yet to come.