(Bloomberg) -- Fox News is working to avoid a repeat of 2020, when network staffers made an early call on Arizona for Joe Biden and turned the state’s map to blue without prepping the anchors.
That prediction, though correct, angered viewers who had backed President Donald Trump and many switched to rival conservative networks.
This time around the network has put in place processes to make sure the on-air staff is briefed so they can explain to viewers what goes into the decision to call a particular state when the news is announced. Bill Hemmer, co-anchor of America’s Newsroom on Fox, will be using new touchscreens, augmented reality and 3D graphics to illustrate voting results on a display nicknamed the “Bill”-board.
Hemmer said in an interview with Bloomberg News that the network’s Decision Desk analyzes voting data in a separate part of the Fox headquarters.
“They have tremendous experience and they will notify us usually by way of email,” he said. “They’ll communicate a significant decision that we’re about to make or announce on the air and we want make sure that everybody’s aware we’re getting ready to make a call.”
Fox News’ 2020 coverage later including letting a number of Trump representatives make on-air claims of election fraud. It’s parent company, Fox Corp., paid $787.5 million to settle a defamation suit brought by one of the voting systems companies.
Fox isn’t alone in taking extra precautions this election year. Other broadcasters have taken steps to ensure factual accuracy around their election reporting. CBS News Confirmed, the fact-checking unit for CBS News, will be tracking misinformation throughout Election Day. The network also has a Data Desk and Democracy Desk to track results and election integrity.
NBC News’ Vote Watch team will be reporting on election security and voting issues. The network has also deployed reporters across the country to collect data from local officials in precincts where voting is predicted to be very close.
NBC News has run through various scenarios for the timing of vote counts, knowing it’s unlikely the race will be officially called Tuesday night.
While rehearsals have been helpful for news networks, sometimes they’ve caused issues. An ABC News local affiliate in Pennsylvania came under fire in October for accidentally airing test election results.
The presidential election usually delivers a ratings boost to cable news networks, with CNN reporting that 2020 was its “best year ever” in terms of viewership in key demographics. Major cable channels have already seen double-digit viewer gains ahead of the election compared with the same timeframe in 2022, according to Bloomberg Intelligence.
However, news channels have also seen their election audiences decline over the years, as fewer people watch traditional TV. About 56.9 million people watched prime-time coverage of the 2020 election across 21 networks, according to Nielsen ratings. For the 2016 race, approximately 71 million people tuned in.
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