Quick Facts

QUICK FACTS

Why a Fox News Media Protest — Here?

Western Mass News | Springfield, MA

SHORT ANSWER

This is not an attack on local journalists and not a claim that this station creates national propaganda.

This is a peaceful, educational protest about how media systems work — and why local media literacy matters in a democracy.

CLARIFYING A POSSIBLE MISUNDERSTANDING

Western Mass News is NOT Fox News Channel.

• Fox News Channel = national cable opinion network part of Fox Corporation

• Western Mass News = local station owned by Gray Television that pays fees to Fox Corporation to use their brand and programming

• Massachusetts has two Fox affiliates, one here in western MA, WGGB, and one in Boston, WFXT

SO WHY PROTEST AT A LOCAL STATION?

Because democracy is local.

• Local media help normalize national brands and narratives.

• This station, WGGB, is a Fox affiliate in MA, and pays fees to Fox Corporation.

• These local nationwide affiliates pay so much in fees that they contributed to over half of the overall income of Fox Corp in Q1 2025. The total amount received was over $1.84 billion of its $3.56 billion in overall income in Q1 2025.

• Fox News is the income driver for Fox Corporation generating approximately 70% of the parent company profit. 

• Fox News consistently leads cable news ratings and contributes a massive portion of the company’s financial success through affiliate fees and advertising.

Local communities have the right to ask: How does our media environment affect civic trust, division, and democracy?

ISN’T THIS CENSORSHIP?

No.

• This protest supports free speech

• This protest is free speech

• Accountability and criticism are part of a healthy press ecosystem

WHY MEDIA LITERACY MATTERS

Media literacy helps people: 

• Separate facts from opinions

• Recognize bias, framing, and emotional manipulation

• Understand who owns media outlets and why that matters

• Make informed civic decisions

WHAT WE’RE ASKING FOR

• More public awareness of how media ecosystems function

• Stronger commitment to accuracy, context, and public good

• Civil dialogue — not outrage-driven discourse

• ACCOUNTABILITY not fake news!

RATINGS

• As of January 2026, Fox News continues to dominate news ratings, leading in both primetime and daytime viewers

• Fox News averaged 1.45 million viewers

• MS Now averaged 589,000 viewers

• CNN averaged 510,000 viewers

*An informed public is harder to divide and easier to govern democratically*