Polygraph

Fox News uses the slogan 'fair and balanced'.

Posted by The Daily Show: Ears Edition, Checked

Polygraph verdictFalse
Sources
3 contradict3 support
Said
1 time·
Confidence
90%
The Daily Show: Ears EditionAug 28, 2026
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32 claimsThe check →

The claim uses the present tense, but multiple sources report that Fox News dropped the 'fair and balanced' slogan, with a Fox spokesperson confirming it had not been used in external marketing or on-air promotions since August 2016. A 2026 CJR piece also describes the network's current line as 'Most Watched.

What was said

… And if you watch this show, as it appears you have, you must remember me and McCain like bunnies. But I guess that's besides the point. Here's the point: you can't criticize me for not being fair and balanced. That's your slogan, which, by the way, you never follow, which brings us back to the essence of the whole "go yourselves" piece. …
The Daily Show: Ears Edition · · from the transcriptPost →

What we found

Contradicts. BBC reports Fox News dropped the 'fair and balanced' slogan, and a Fox spokesperson said the network had not used it in external marketing or on-air promotions since August 2016.[3]

Contradicts. NYT reports Fox News officially retired the 'Fair and Balanced' motto in 2017, replacing it with 'Mosted, Trusted' (as printed), and says the phrase was no longer a marketing tagline.[4]

Contradicts. A 2026 CJR article states Fox dropped the slogan after Ailes's ouster and that the network's current line is 'Most Watched. Most Trusted.'[5]

Supports. Fox News used the 'fair and balanced' slogan historically from its 1996 founding under Roger Ailes, and some personalities still use the phrase on air, so the slogan's past use and continued informal use are documented.[1][2][6]

Sources

6 sources: 2 fact-checkers, 1 tier 1, 1 tier 2, 2 not rated

  1. 1Fox News: A decade on topreuters.com · fact-checker · cited for: supports
  2. 2SNL's Fairness Doctrineapnews.com · fact-checker · cited for: supports
  3. 3Fox News drops 'fair and balanced' slogan without ...bbc.com · tier 1 · cited for: contradicts
  4. 4Fox News Drops ‘Fair and Balanced' Mottonytimes.com · tier 2 · cited for: contradicts
  5. 5After Thirty Years, Fox Remains the House Ailes Builtcjr.org · not rated · cited for: contradicts
  6. 6Fox News Drops 'Fair And Balanced' Slogan To Distance Itself ...ibtimes.com · not rated · cited for: supports

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