Many of Donald Trump’s followers have begun to turn away from Fox News, which was sympathetic toward the outgoing president since he began peddling his “birther” conspiracy theory — and toward other outlets that promote conservative-leaning propaganda.
After Fox News projected Joe Biden’s victory in Arizona well ahead of other networks, Trump turned on the network, accusing them of spreading “fake news.” However, this corresponds to an overall trend in Fox viewership. In one survey, about a third of Fox News viewers said they wished the network was more conservative.
Trump began to direct his ire toward Fox News in October, after the network’s polling indicated he was unlikely to win reelection. Since then, Trump has directed his followers toward some of the incendiary outlets he’s touted during his presidency, including One America News and Newsmax, which have recently seen a large uptick in ratings despite low production values and a shaky relationship to the truth.
Meanwhile, amid an uncertain future for Disney’s theatrical releases and theme parks, Disney Plus’ recently released subscriber numbers were well past expectations. “Hamilton” appeared to be a big driver for signups in July, while “Frozen II,” Beyoncé’s “Black Is King,” and the second season of “The Mandalorian” corresponded with smaller spikes in subscriber signups.
Disney’s experiment with the premium “Mulan” movie, offered to Disney+ subscribers in August for $29.99, also corresponded with a spike in signups, although it was relatively small compared to “Hamilton” and even the second “Mandalorian” season.