The Fox Dynamic

There is freedom within
There is freedom without
Try to catch the deluge in a paper cup
--Crowded House

With the overwhelming majority of media distorting messages to the left, it should be no wonder that Fox appears so different than the rest. In the late 1990s, Fox positioned itself to the right of other large media outlets and has been hugely successful since.

Why it took so long for a major outlet with a conservative slant to come about is perplexing. After all, there is a large conservative market out there--as verified by Fox's big viewership. It is also mystifying why there have been few 'me too' followers seeking some of the pie that Fox has been gorging in.

My best answer is that the supply of conservative journalists has been chronically low, meaning that there has been a deaarth of the most critical supply necessary for generating right leaning content. We know the general tendency for left-minded people to 'self-select' into journalism careers. Moreover, newsrooms full of liberal reported create a hostile environment for those who are not like-minded.

Now that Fox is in the mix, the dynamic appears to be shifting. Fox commands such a large market share that left leaning outlets now fight over a smaller piece of economic pie. Lacking the economic resources they once enjoyed, many of these outlets have been driven to the brink of failure. Opportunities for left-minded journalists are therefore shrinking.

As such, it is easy to understand why left-leaning media and their supporters despise Fox. Control of the media mechanism has been taken away from the Left, and it is doubtful that it will returned.

The big opportunity instead appears to be on the conservative side--particularly for enterprising outlets seeking to cut in on Fox's success. Quoting Fox's Brit Hume in Groseclose (2011):

"[If you are willing to pursue stories that traditional, liberal reporters aren't interested in,] it gets to be like picking up money off the street."

That money will remain easy pickings until competition intensifies.
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