**Fox News Regrets Onscreen Message Calling President Biden a “Wannabe Dictator”**
**Fox News Broadcasts Controversial Onscreen Message**
On Wednesday, Fox News made headlines for airing an onscreen message that referred to President Joe Biden as a “wannabe dictator” who had his political rival arrested. The message appeared beneath split-screen video boxes showing former President Donald Trump addressing supporters live in New Jersey, and Biden speaking at the White House earlier that day. Fox News has since expressed regret for the message, stating that it was taken down immediately and addressed.
**Mediaite Reports 27-Second Onscreen Message**
According to Mediaite, the onscreen message calling Biden a “wannabe dictator” remained visible for 27 seconds. It is unclear how the message made it onto the screen and how Fox News resolved the matter. Despite the controversy, the White House has stated that President Biden has had no contact with Attorney General Merrick Garland about the indictment against Trump, which accuses him of illegally hoarding classified documents. Furthermore, Biden has not publicly commented on the case.
**Fox News Faces Previous Settlement and Declining Primetime Ratings**
This is not the first time Fox News has faced criticism. Two months ago, the news organization agreed to pay Dominion Voting Systems $787 million to settle a lawsuit accusing them of spreading false information about the 2020 presidential election. Since then, Fox News has experienced a significant decline in its primetime ratings, particularly after the dismissal of Tucker Carlson, prompting him to post a video commentary on Twitter against the network’s demands.
**PBS Posts Fact-Checks during Trump’s Speech**
During the broadcast of Trump’s speech, PBS used the lower third of its screen to post fact-checks on its YouTube channel. One eye-catching message stated, “Experts warn that inflammatory rhetoric from elected officials or people in power can prompt individual actors to commit acts of violence.” While PBS acknowledges the truthfulness of the statement, they are questioning whether it was the appropriate platform. Other messages mentioned the security of the 2020 presidential election and the discovery of documents at Trump’s home related to U.S. nuclear programs and defense capabilities.
**CNN and MSNBC’s Response to Trump’s Speech**
While Fox News aired Trump’s speech live, CNN and MSNBC chose not to. Jake Tapper of CNN justified their decision by stating that Trump often says untrue and potentially dangerous things. CNN did, however, air a nearly two-minute clip of Trump’s speech followed by fact-checks. MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow expressed similar sentiments and decided not to broadcast Trump’s speech live, instead opting to show clips later on. These decisions indicate a shift in policy at CNN following the departure of its former CEO, who had been attempting to appeal to GOP viewers.
In conclusion, Fox News has expressed regret for airing an onscreen message calling President Biden a “wannabe dictator,” which was visible for 27 seconds. The network did not provide an explanation for how the message appeared or how the issue was resolved. This incident comes after Fox News settled a lawsuit with Dominion Voting Systems and saw a decline in primetime ratings. PBS posted fact-checks during Trump’s speech, while CNN and MSNBC chose not to air it live, citing concerns about spreading false information.
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