Mediaite’s Most Influential in News Media 2021

Mediaite ^ | Dec 21st, 2021, 9:16 am | By Mediaite Staff

[Hojczyk]

6. Oprah Winfrey

5. Clarissa Ward

4. Jeff Zucker

3. Suzanne Scott

2. Joe Rogan

1. Tucker Carlson

The network didn’t just double down on opinion, it doubled down on Tucker, whose influence now extends beyond the prime time show. He expanded into daytime programming, with the launch of Tucker Carlson Today, and documentaries with his controversial Patriot Purge series, both on streaming platform Fox Nation. And as Ben Smith reported for the New York Times, Carlson has his hands in the reporting of other outlets too — and a few bestselling books — as a prolific source of gossip on Trump, Fox, and even himself.

Many predicted, in January, the demise of Fox News, or at least a light neutering. Ratings were way down and the Capitol riot was thought to have destroyed Trump’s legacy and support. Those predictions proved wrong, thanks largely to Carlson. He remained steadfast, and quickly surged back to first, cementing his control over the network along the way. 2021 is the year that Tucker Carlson proved he was untouchable. Untouchable to the lawmakers, liberal watchdog groups, interest groups, and even Fox News hosts and executives that would like to see him off the air. By the end of 2021, Chris Wallace had left the network, and Tucker Carlson was king.

Today, Fox News looks far more like Tucker Carlson than Chris Wallace. Much of the country does too.