October 17, 2011, Greencastle, Ind. — Since signing on as a cable offering on October 7, 1996, Fox News Channel "has become a very real force in America’s culture and
politics," writes the Washington Post's Ellen McCarthy and Paul Farhi. "It has altered the national dialogue with its different
sensibilities and given conservatives a platform. It has become the
source of great equity or great evil, depending on your perspective."
In a story marking the network's 15th anniversary, the Post examines Fox's mix of opinion and news shows and criticisms that it leans decidedly to the right. It is, the newspaper notes, an "approach has attracted a large and loyal cadre of viewers."
"They provided a source for news to a lot of folks who were disgruntled with their choices up to that point," Jeffrey M. McCall, professor of 
communication at DePauw University, tells the Post. Today, "if you want to
run for office or if you’ve got policy moves you want to make, at some
point you’ve got to address the audience that is watching Fox. They’ve
put themselves in a position where they can’t be ignored anymore."
You'll find the full article -- "How Fox News changed the face of journalism" -- at the Post's website.
Earlier this month, Jeff McCall authored a newspaper op-ed on Fox News Channel which was published in the Indianapolis Star.
A 1976 graduate of DePauw, Dr. McCall is the author of Viewer Discretion Advised: Taking Control of Mass Media Influences.