How does one of the most powerful media networks in America shape political reality for millions of viewers?
In this episode of The Wire Tap, journalist Chris Sampson, broadcasting from Kyiv, speaks with media analyst Juliet Jeske, creator of the Substack project Decoding Fox News, about the mechanics of modern propaganda and how media narratives influence public perception.
Jeske spends hours every week watching and analyzing Fox News programming to document patterns in messaging, framing, and political influence. Together they discuss:
• How Fox News coverage shifted during the Ukraine war
• The internal competition with Newsmax and OANN pushing Fox toward more extreme narratives
• Evidence revealed in the Dominion Voting Systems lawsuit about knowingly broadcasting false election claims
• How fear and outrage are used as tools to keep audiences engaged
• The ways media outlets can present completely different versions of the same event
In one striking example, massive protests in Tel Aviv against Benjamin Netanyahu’s government were shown as a small gathering on Fox News, while other outlets broadcast aerial footage showing hundreds of thousands filling the streets — demonstrating how coverage choices can create two entirely different realities for viewers.
The conversation also explores how propaganda ecosystems evolve as networks compete for audiences and how viewers can better understand the media environments shaping modern political discourse.
Guest: Juliet Jeske – creator of Decoding Fox News
Host: Chris Sampson – journalist and founder of NatSecMedia
