Cable news is hemorrhaging viewers, and the online conversation about why reveals deep frustration with how major networks covered the 2024 election.

Posts circulating on Bluesky point to falling ratings across the board — not just at Fox News, but at MSNBC and CNN as well. The discussion, which has generated over 500 posts since late October, centers on a common theme: viewers feel betrayed by networks they believe "sanewashed" political coverage and failed to meet the moment.

The Ratings Reality

Multiple users are sharing links to reports about viewership declines. "Many viewers are losing their faith in the Corporate Media which is owned and run by members of the 0.1% Class and slant their coverage as such," wrote @p-phrog.bsky.social, adding that "People are looking to independent journalism for the truth."

The sentiment is echoed across the conversation. @helijosh222.bsky.social put it bluntly: "They treated the election like this was normal and they sane washed Sweet Potato Hitler. They deserve everything coming their way. It will be a very long time before I watch MSM again."

That post, which received two likes, captures a broader anger visible throughout the thread — not just at Fox News, but at what users perceive as all mainstream outlets' failure to adequately challenge or contextualize Trump-era politics.

The "Fox Light" Problem

One of the most-engaged posts in the conversation came from @bozbuckeye.bsky.social, drawing 298 likes: "Cable News especially MSNBC and CNN did themselves in when they tried to be Fox Light. There is an opportunity to compete with Fox but they won't take it. Tell the truth. Get a new slogan. There is an opportunity to tell the facts and give contrary opinions to Fox."

This critique — that liberal-leaning networks attempted to mimic Fox's approach rather than offering a genuine alternative — appears repeatedly in the discussion. @resistancesean.bsky.social added: "Yet their ratings continue to fall. You can't be a fake version of Fox News. Those viewers will always want to real version."

The posts suggest a audience segment that feels abandoned: viewers who wanted more aggressive pushback against what they see as authoritarian politics, not both-sides equivocation.

What Users Think Went Wrong

Several posts point to specific coverage failures. @lincolnsquare.media, in a post that garnered 42 likes, promoted a podcast "expos[ing] how Fox News cherry-picks polls, misleads on tariffs, repeats Trump's lies on immigration, and demonizes Democrats" as Trump's approval ratings reportedly fall.

@gerryhassan.bsky.social described "Donald Trump in complete denial mode as his poll ratings fall. Now in an 'elect a new people' frame of mind re: Fox News & their pollster showing the scale of his gathering unpopularity."

These posts reflect users tracking not just media ratings but political approval numbers, seeing the two as intertwined — networks that failed to hold power accountable are now losing the audiences they tried to court.

Competing Visions for What Comes Next

The conversation reveals a split about what declining cable news ratings actually mean.

Some users see opportunity. @smashmouthsigns.bsky.social argued in a post receiving three likes: "That's good news ONLY if they become more Progressive and become more of a resistance echo chamber like Fox News to gain ratings. Otherwise, the weaker they are, the faster they fall, and Fascism wins by purging opposition media."

This view — that weakened mainstream outlets create a dangerous vacuum — stands in tension with those celebrating the decline as deserved consequences for poor journalism.

Others are looking beyond traditional media entirely. @weareronin.bsky.social, with six likes, suggested: "It would behoove you to gather some folks up and start a media wing in your state that counters messaging, advertises events taking place, and focuses on actions folks can take."

The Broader Context

While the trending topic centers on "Fox News ratings fall," the actual conversation reveals something more complex: a wholesale loss of faith in cable news as an institution, cutting across ideological lines.

The discussion reflects a moment when audiences have abundant alternatives — from independent YouTube channels to Substack newsletters to social media itself — and are voting with their attention. Posts reference "independent journalism" as the destination for viewers leaving cable news behind.

What remains unclear from the online discussion is whether any course correction could win back these audiences, or whether the cable news model itself has become unsustainable in an era of fragmented, on-demand media consumption.

Users aren't just reporting that ratings are falling. They're explaining why they personally stopped watching — and in many cases, why they don't plan to return.