Finding Fox: 3 Months On.
Cheers to Claire, Tim and Jim for assisting with this piece and chewing the fat. My mental health thanks you!
"Why have you been so agitated?" Claire asked.
"I don't know —"
The truth is that I did know: Since the US elections in November, I've endeavoured to watch Fox News - mainly Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity - to understand the mindset of Trump voters and those who believe the election was stolen and that government is evil.
After three months of watching, I recently started showing signs of what my better half would call agitation and distress.
What drives these shows, which rank among the most popular cable news shows in America, is palpable anger towards "the left". The opening monologues set the scene and nets are cast upon the public, government and media individuals who are preying upon the "liberties" and "freedoms" of unsuspecting "patriots". (All funded by the "deep state" and "billionaire class" — a class which Fox News’ owners Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch somehow don't fall into.)
This opening monologue was particularly difficult to sit through, but it helps demonstrate how the likes of Tucker Carlson create fear and anxiety, before directing viewers on who and where to direct rage.
Once these opening monologues filled with personal attacks and repetitive claims of rampant corruption take us to a commercial break, the rest of the hour is spent asking "guests" (often journalists who work at Murdoch-owned programs and outlets) questions based on what the anchor claimed before the break. The guests repeat the host's thoughts and then receive their marching orders: "Thanks so much for coming on and sharing your view." There's seldom an opposing view or robust counter-argument, nor a source who doesn't toe the show's pre-prepared stance.
The last time I can think of one of these shows interviewing someone who disagreed with the host’s take was back in 2019 — and Tucker Carlson Tonight refused to air the clip. The interview was with Dutch historian Rutger Bregman and it went viral due to Carlson's inability to debate or even maintain decency: "Why don't you go fuck yourself, tiny brain?"
This was Carlson’s "genuinely heartfelt" response:
Before diving into some of the mental health issues, it’s worth pointing out that over 4 million people tune in to these shows, in part because they believe other media and news outlets are refusing to present particular views and news stories. (Of course, Fox dedicates countless hours to projecting and creating these narratives!) Therefore, instead of dismissing and demonising viewers, I want to separate the unhealthiness of the shows with the vast majority of viewers who feel anxious and worried — especially in this uncertain, pandemic-plagued time.
Consider what effects digesting these comments, taken from Tucker Carlson Tonight and Hannity, on a nightly basis might have ⤵
"You've been betrayed by the people who lead you."
"Our institutions are corrupt and some of them are collapsing."
"The news media is the most corrupt of all."
"There’s nothing they can’t do next. They can decide how you raise your children, how you vote — even what you believe."
"What Democrats really want is total control over everything. No more democracy."
"Once they humiliate you, they can control you."
One of the news media’s darkest arts is stoking anxiety and anger to hook viewers, a practice that leads many to catastrophise. This was the case during my months of watching Fox News’ primetime shows: I often noted how accelerated and panicked my thinking was when I processed the emotionally charged (and hate-filled) monologues. The unrelenting negativity that encapsulates these programs invites you to join in, allowing it to then linger in your mind.
It can be so intense … that I sometimes have what could be called propaganda hangovers - after finishing the show, I feel as though I’m trapped in a fog of disinformation, and my mental processes feel sluggish. - Bobby Lewis, Researcher at MediaMatters
Fear ➡ anxiety ➡ anger ➡ rage is the formula that those who work on Tucker Carlson Tonight and Hannity apply. They aim at a segment of the public that feels underrepresented in the media and then unleash ⤵️
Hannity’s personal attacks against Joe Biden and casting the entire Democratic party against “working people” is unrelenting and packaged in rhetoric rather than substantial analysis.
In the clip above we see an example of a Hannity monologue encased in the anchor’s trademark spite and anger. Dr. Jean Kim, a psychiatrist for the US Department of Health and Human Services, makes no bones about this tactic, explaining that "people get a literal rush from getting angry. It feels good. It feeds into your sense of self and you end up liking it." ⤵
When we feel outrage, we’re responding to a potent cocktail of neurochemical reactions, physiological sensations, and conditioned responses. It’s a survival mechanism linked to our deepest, oldest brain system, the limbic system.
Any perceived threat — physical, metaphysical, ideological, or imagined — causes the amygdalae, the two almond-shaped bundles of neurons in the medial temporal lobe, to alert the brain to prepare for a fight (or flight). This signal causes the release of the neurotransmitter dopamine, as well as the stress hormones cortisol, adrenaline, and noradrenaline, which kick-start our sympathetic nervous system, causing oxygen levels in the blood and glucose levels in the brain to rise. Our heart rate, blood sugar levels, and blood pressure go up — energizing us for a fight.
This rush of neurochemicals has a transformative effect on our behavior. We might yell, clench our fists, or fume, signaling to everyone around us that we’re ready to blow up.
This state of being "ready to blow up" is where I found myself the Friday before quitting Fox. Tucker Carlson Tonight was playing on my mobile while I walked my dachshund, Otto, around the local park. After stumbling over a tree trunk, which I’m sure Otto found amusing, I tore the earphones from my ears, chucked them towards the road and started cursing nonsensically. It was clear that I needed to turn off Fox News.
Outlandish reactions like mine relate to these perceived threats that Dr. Kim and health professionals have studied in those who digest the type of news programs on Fox News at night. One way to spot Fox’s tactics is by considering the language used to stoke anger and produce what is commonly referred to as Fox News brain.
One study by The Daily Beast analysed 1,088 transcripts from evening programs on Fox News and left-wing MSNBC and found stark differences in language and tactics:
Our quantitative analysis identified terms indicating antipathy or resentment, such as “dislike,” “despise,” “can’t stand” and “hate.”
We expected to find that both of the strongly ideological networks made use of such words, perhaps in different ways. Instead, we found that Fox used antipathy words five times more often than MSNBC. “Hate” really stood out: It appeared 647 times on Fox, compared to 118 on MSNBC.
The two news programs most likely to use this language to produce division and discord?
Hannity and Tucker Carlson Tonight.
My initial reaction after turning off the Fox News tap was to join those who dismiss Murdoch-media, especially Fox. And I understand why someone would do that for self-care reasons: only so much is worthy of our time and thought. Why spend your time on such negativity and hate?
Self-care refers to activities that preserve and maintain one’s physical, emotional and mental health. It is an ongoing commitment to look after yourself through helpful behaviours that protect your health during periods of stress.
Paying attention to what is happening to your body, both physically and emotionally, helps you to identify when something is affecting you. It is important to take time out when you need it to reduce feelings of stress and protect your mental health. - Life in Mind
Another reminder of this need to apply self-care and wellbeing boundaries came when I saw this quote from Martin Luther King Jr.’s writing against the temptation to be defined and dominated by hatred. ⤵
Despite being threatened, hounded, surveilled, jailed and ultimately assassinated due to his advocacy for civil rights and equality, MLK knew the devastating effects and burden that meditating on hate, the kind that Fox News stokes, would have on himself and others.
It is important to take the time to consider the role news media plays, and what boundaries we may need to set for our mental health and wellbeing.
Let me leave you with what Fox’s own lawyers argued in court regarding how viewers should comprehend the most-watched program on cable news, Tucker Carlson Tonight:
[The] “general tenor” of the show should inform a viewer that he is not “stating actual facts” about the topics he discusses and is instead engaging in “exaggeration” and “non-literal commentary”.
