Attacks on Fox News' Coverage of Jan. 6 Select Committee Hearings Sure Do Seem One-Sided

The outrage over Fox News' decision not to air the public hearing later on Thursday evening from the January 6 select committee sure is something else, as Julio covered earlier this week. As he also mentioned, Fox Business is still airing the live hearings. Anchors Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum, known for being news personalities of the network, will be covering them.

According to a Fox News press release released on Monday, the live hearings will also be airing them on Fox News Digital, Fox News Audio, and Fox Nation, which will not require authentication. The coverage is also being offered to Fox affiliates. Fox News will also pre-empt "Gutfeld!" at the 11:00pm hour to air a two-hour live special with Shannon Bream and Baier and MacCallum.

These plans, and the plans of other networks, are laid out by TVNewser in a piece published on Wednesday afternoon.

Of particular notice is not so much Fox News and its affiliates, but of MSNBC. The network isn't exactly trotting out its hard news reporters for such live coverage.

Beginning at 7:00pm, the network will feature hosts Rachel Maddow, Nicolle Wallace, and even Joy Reid. Chris Hayes, Lawrence O'Donnell and Ari Melber will also join.

Yet its critics still continue to obsess over hitting Fox News over the head. Former CBS News Anchor Dan Rather was garnering attention over Twitter for his embarrassing take, considering that he was fired in 2006 for presenting unauthenticated documents on a story to do with George W. Bush.

Maybe a new slogan for Fox News should be: “For those who can’t handle the truth.”
— Dan Rather (@DanRather) June 9, 2022

The hearing begins at the 8:00pm hour, which is when "Tucker Carlson Tonight" airs on Fox News. Considering that the show is often ranked the most watched show in cable news (at times competing with "The Five," which also appears on the network), it's not exactly surprising that this decision was made. Further, the program will also cut into the hearings at times as well.

During a press call on Tuesday, Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN) predicted that "Tucker Carlson Tonight" will earn record ratings. Banks was named to serve on the select committee by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) but House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) vetoed such a pick, as she did with McCarthy's pick of Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH). As a result, McCarthy pulled his picks and no members named by the minority party serve on the select committee. A unified message from the Republican Party has been to highlight the illegitimacy of the select committee.

Polls show that the American people are ready to move on from January 6, and that fewer people now blame former President Donald Trump.

Mia put forth a deep-dive piece earlier of what kind of a production to expect. Furthering the idea of how much of a showboat effort this is, and showing that there be a sense of desperation in terms of ratings, Katie covered earlier this week how the select committee hired former ABC News President James Goldston to produce all of the hearings this month.