From doubted to dominant: Fox News turns 30 and looks to the future

For 30 years, Fox News has been a staple in American homes, providing context and clarity to the people who rely on it for fast and accurate information. Three of its anchors spoke with the Washington Examiner, offering a glimpse into the future.Fox News anchor Laura Ingraham knows a thing or two about hard work. As the host of The Ingraham Angle and former host of the national syndicated radio show The Laura Ingraham Show, she’s poured her life into delivering the news to American audiences.Ingraham told the Washington Examiner that that same passion is at the heart of Fox News, “keeping our sense of purpose fresh, 30 years later.” She highlighted a world of ever-evolving ways to present the news, where deadlines matter even more with the presence of social media, and everyone is in a race to be first.The most important thing is to “continue to bring news and commentary to the country that it really can’t get anywhere else, and that’s where Fox shines,” Ingraham said. “Both the quality of the analysis, the up-to-the-minute reporting, the access to key figures on both sides of the political aisle, and its ability to, you know, really stay ahead of the curve on trends in the culture and politics.”But she said Fox was not always the powerhouse that it is today, and Fox’s story is true to the American spirit.TRUMP TROLLS REPORTER: I DON’T WANT FAKE NEWS ‘LIKE YOU’Ingraham said many people did not think Fox would last very long, in comparison to NBC and other media giants.“Boy, did that change,” Ingraham told the Washington Examiner. “So it’s hilarious that again, people like laughing at it, but they were discounting the possibility that Fox would ever be a major player in the media landscape, and the same can be said of the United States, right?”She compared Fox to the “ragtag group of colonies” that Europe never thought would prevail. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump greets moderator Laura Ingraham at a Fox News Channel town hall on Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2024, in Greenville, South Carolina. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson) “Both the U.S. and Fox were underestimated from the start,” Ingraham said.She said Fox is special because “we have a collective interest in bringing commentary and news to the fore every day,” at a time when political stakes are higher than ever.“I consider myself incredibly blessed to have this platform every night to share my views on the state of things in America at this critical time for the country,” Ingraham said.She said as the news landscape continually changes, it is important to deliver news in a way that still resonates with the audience.“Most important is keeping up the quality of journalism and commentary, and ensuring that the way we deliver it to people keeps pace with the changes in technology,” Ingraham said.“It’s a brand that people know and a quality that people expect, have come to expect. That comes with great responsibility.”Ingraham said Fox stands out because of its distinct voices, arguing that viewers value anchors who are well-versed in their subjects and can offer informed, thoughtful commentary.“Authenticity wins,” Ingraham said.Steve Doocy Fox News anchor and reporter Steve Doocy has been there from the beginning. He joined Fox News when the network launched in 1996, initially delivering weather reports.Even then, he remembers Fox’s unique flair that made it stand out from competitors. He said its approach to deliver the weather in a fun way that left out complicated technical terms was a hit with audiences.That passion from the very beginning is what makes Fox stand out.“I think Fox will continue to be the dominant news voice for a lot of people in 30 years,” Doocy said.Doocy moved from weather to Fox & Friends as a founding co-host in 1998 when it launched. Doocy’s son, Peter Doocy, joined Fox in 2009 and frequently appears on Fox & Friends as a White House correspondent.HOW MS. RACHEL WENT FROM BELOVED CHILDREN’S STREAMING SENSATION TO ‘MOUTHPIECE FOR HAMAS’“As we look back at 30 years of Fox News Channel, for me personally, it has been an honor that I’ve been able to be part of the team that, for two generations, has woken up America and said, ‘Hey, good morning. Here’s the latest,’ and let people know what’s going on in the world,” Doocy said. “Because if you want to know where you are on any day, you need to know exactly where you are. And if you don’t know what’s going on in the world, you’re kind of missing out. So I feel honored to have continued to wake up America.” Journalists Steve Doocy, left, and Peter Doocy, right, pose for photographers as they arrive at the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner on Saturday, April 27, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana) Doocy highlighted the significance 9/11 had in establishing Fox News as a trusted news source for its national audience. Doocy was co-hosting Fox & Friends on Sept. 11, 2001, when a plane flown by a member of the terrorist group al Qaeda crashed into the World Trade Center.Doocy and the other co-hosts returned from a commercial break to the breaking news and tossed to news anchor Jon Scott shortly after for in-depth coverage.Doocy said that in those big moments, people turn to their television for information and to feel connected and reassured. He said Fox’s coverage of 9/11 built trust with audiences.“I think that’s why so many people there in the beginning, after 9/11, tuned to us because we were nonstop,” Doocy said. “We did it every day. We expanded our show.”Doocy maintained that television news helps people feel comforted in trying times, but news consumption is moving toward personal technology.Doocy took on a new role as traveling co-host of Fox & Friends in May 2025, going from coast to coast and highlighting communities across the U.S.“One of the brilliant parts of Fox is they say, ‘OK, we want to just expand the look, we want to make it look different, and we want it to feel different,’ and so that’s kind of what I’ve been doing, and it’s been a lot of fun,” Doocy said.Harris Faulkner Harris Faulkner is unapologetically deep-seated in her faith. It is in every aspect of her life, including her reporting as an anchor on The Faulkner Focus and in her role as a co-host of Outnumbered. She said her ability to integrate personal faith into her reporting is part of what shows Fox’s roots in American exceptionalism.“It shows that freedom is still critical to who we are as a nation,” Faulkner told the Washington Examiner. “Our exceptionalism — it’s important free speech.”Faulkner said Fox’s commitment to free speech gives it a one-of-a-kind feel. She said Fox gives employees the choice to pursue their own path and run with their ideas. Faulkner’s book, Faith Still Moves Mountains, tells the real-life stories of the power of prayer.“Now I don’t know a lot of news anchors across the dial outside of Fox that are writing about their faith, too,” Faulkner said. “So I mean, there’s just so much to do, and at a network, that’s what you have. You have choices, and I would say that the choice list, 30 years in for Fox News, is endless.”Faulkner detailed her experience in Washington for the Fourth of July fireworks celebrating America’s 250th anniversary. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump pauses during a break in a Fox News town hall with Harris Faulkner on Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024, at The Reid Barn in Cumming, Georgia. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) During temporary thunderstorms that night, the massive fireworks show was pushed back, and spectators were moved into crowded shelters. Faulkner said as she looked around, she realized she was surrounded by gospel singers and war veterans.She joined the gospel singers in singing a rendition of “Awesome God” and was able to broadcast it live back to Fox News.“In those moments, I realized, ‘Yeah, I’m probably not going to see that anywhere else,’ and that’s OK,” Faulkner told the Washington Examiner. “Other people can be and do what they want to do, but that’s truly who I am, and I truly think that those people in those storm shelters, my cohorts, my coworkers, my colleagues, my friends, we respect the role that we play in American culture today.”Faulkner noted how the journalism industry has shifted from traditional cable to interactive digital platforms.“The audience is different. The audience’s expectations are different,” she said, but maintained traditional news will always have its place.“When big things happen, people still turn their television on because they need to be with somebody who can take them through it, and I think that’s bigger than your phone or your tablet,” Faulkner said.SEN. JOHN KENNEDY URGES BAN ON NAMING BUILDINGS AFTER LIVING POLITICIANSShe said Fox has always been an industry leader, and that will not change in the next 30 years.“Nothing ever stays the same, but I don’t think that the contest is whether or not you stick around for the next 30. I think the game is: Do you stay relevant, and what are you doing to do that?”