CNN and Fox News have been bitter rivals since Fox’s inception back in 1996. But in the Trump era, the snipping and insults have taken on a new intensity. Hosts at the two networks now trade blows almost daily about whose coverage or commentary about the president is more distorted or unfair, writes The Washington Post. For example, last week, Fox used clips from CNN’s “town hall” on gun violence as a way to call out “liberal” media bias in the debate over gun control. Meanwhile, CNN aired a news segment after Laura Ingraham criticized LeBron James and Kevin Durant for speaking out about their political opinions — she told them to “Shut up and dribble.” The segment included host Brooke Baldwin pointing out that Fox gives celebrities like Kid Rock, Chuck Norris and Phil Robertson a platform for their political opinions. The constant bickering is so routine that it is easy to forget that it isn’t normal and that outlets do not normally criticize each other like this. It shows how polarizing the Trump administration is, especially since the president himself has stoked the perception that there are pro- and anti-Trump factions in the news media, and he has singled out Fox and CNN in particular. The sniping is also a business strategy, writes The Post. The networks are trying to distinguish themselves at a time when so much news is shared and consumed via social media.
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