We Asked the Direct Question… Got Split Response, But Court Records and Fact-Checkers Tell the REAL Story! (This Is About Documented Evidence, Not Feelings)
THE QUESTION THAT DIVIDES AMERICA
“Who lies more—CNN or Fox News?”
This question cuts to the heart of America’s information crisis. In an era where people can’t agree on basic facts, which news network is MORE responsible for spreading misinformation?
We expected tribal warfare. Fox defenders vs. CNN critics. Each side claiming the other is propaganda.
What we got was OVERWHELMING consensus: CNN lies more, with scattered Fox critics and several saying “both.”
But here’s where we go BEYOND tribal opinions. We’re examining DOCUMENTED lies, court cases, fact-checker records, and verifiable misinformation from both networks.
This isn’t about which one makes you feel better. This is about which one has PROVEN track record of lying.
THE COMMENT BREAKDOWN
CNN Dominates the “Liar” Category
“CNN!” mentioned at least 35+ times
“CNN by a million miles!”
“CNN for sure!”
“CNN without a doubt” (mentioned at least 5+ times)
“CNN no question 1000%”
“CNN 100%”
“CNN by far!”
“CNN by a mile”
“CNN, no doubt hands-down”
“CNN is the record holder!”
“CNN is the champ!!”
“Absolutely CNN”
“Definitely CNN”
At least 35 responses named CNN as the bigger liar. This represents roughly 60-65% of responses.
The Fox Accusations
“Fox by a ton!”
“Fox without a doubt”
“Fox all the way”
“FOX FOR SURE”
“Fox/Trump”
“Fox has been sued and lost, Fox is the winner hands down!!!”
About 10 responses named Fox as the bigger liar. This represents roughly 15-20% of responses.
The “Both” Camp
“Both”
“It’s a dead heat.for.first place”
“They probably tied”
“It’s a stalemate !”
“Both are about the same now”
“Both equally”
“Basically they all lie. Its just for separate sides”
About 10-12 responses said “both” lie equally. This represents roughly 15-20% of responses.
THE COURT RECORD: DOCUMENTED LYING
Fox News: The Dominion Case
This is the single largest documented case of institutional lying in modern American media history.
The Facts:
In April 2023, Fox News settled with Dominion Voting Systems for $787.5 MILLION—the largest known media defamation settlement in U.S. history.
What Fox Lied About:
Fox anchors and guests repeatedly claimed Dominion voting machines rigged the 2020 election for Biden. These claims were FALSE. Completely. Provably. Definitively.
The Evidence:
Court documents revealed Fox executives and hosts KNEW the claims were false while promoting them on air.
Internal Fox messages:
- Tucker Carlson (in private): Sidney Powell’s election claims are “absurdly and demonstrably false”
- Rupert Murdoch (in deposition): Acknowledged some Fox hosts endorsed false election claims
- Fox producer: “The claims are BS and you know it”
Yet on air, Fox promoted these lies repeatedly for WEEKS.
Lou Dobbs, Maria Bartiromo, Sean Hannity, Jeanine Pirro—all platformed guests making false Dominion claims. Many hosts amplified the lies themselves.
Why This Matters:
This wasn’t opinion. This wasn’t bias. This was KNOWING FALSEHOOD. Fox executives and hosts ADMITTED in internal communications that election fraud claims were false while promoting them to viewers.
That’s not journalism. That’s propaganda. That’s LYING.
The Damage:
$787.5 million settlement. Fox didn’t fight in court because the evidence was overwhelming. They lied. They knew they lied. They got caught.
Fox’s Legal Defense: “No Reasonable Person Would Believe Tucker”
The Rachel Maddow Comparison:
Both Fox and MSNBC have used similar legal defenses when sued.
Fox defending Tucker Carlson (2020):
When Tucker was sued for defamation, Fox’s lawyers argued that Tucker Carlson’s show is NOT news—it’s “commentary” and “rhetorical hyperbole” that no “reasonable viewer” would take as factual statements.
The court AGREED and dismissed the case, accepting that Tucker’s show is opinion/entertainment, not factual reporting.
MSNBC defending Rachel Maddow (2020):
When Maddow was sued for saying OAN “literally is paid Russian propaganda,” MSNBC’s lawyers used nearly identical defense: Maddow’s statements were “obvious exaggeration” and “opinion” that no reasonable viewer would take literally.
The court AGREED and dismissed the case.
What This Means:
BOTH networks have successfully argued in court that their prime-time opinion hosts are NOT presenting factual news. They’re presenting “commentary” and “exaggeration” that audiences should not take literally.
Yet millions of viewers DO take them literally. That’s the problem.
But here’s the key difference:
Maddow hasn’t cost her network $787.5 million for knowingly spreading lies about election systems. Tucker and other Fox hosts did.
CNN’s Defamation Cases
CNN has faced defamation lawsuits but nothing approaching Fox’s Dominion settlement.
Notable cases:
Sandmann Settlement (2020):
CNN settled with Nick Sandmann, the Covington Catholic high school student, for undisclosed amount (rumors suggest $25-75 million, but never confirmed).
CNN had portrayed Sandmann as aggressor confronting Native American elder Nathan Phillips. Full video showed more complex interaction. CNN’s initial reporting was incomplete and arguably unfair.
This was journalism failure – rushing to judgment without full context. But was it deliberate lying? Less clear than Fox’s Dominion case where internal messages proved they KNEW claims were false.
Veritas Lawsuit:
Project Veritas sued CNN for defamation. Case is ongoing. CNN called Veritas’ editing “deceptive.” Veritas claims CNN defamed them.
Assessment: No settled case proving CNN knowingly lied at Dominion scale.
Rittenhouse Coverage:
Some conservative critics argue CNN defamed Kyle Rittenhouse by calling him “white supremacist” or suggesting he crossed state lines with weapon (he didn’t). No successful lawsuit resulted.
Assessment: These may be bias or poor journalism, but no court has determined they were knowing lies.
The Verdict on Court Cases
Fox has DOCUMENTED, PROVEN, ADMITTED lying in internal communications about election fraud claims. Cost: $787.5 million.
CNN has journalism failures and settlements, but no proven case of institutional lying at Fox’s scale.
Winner (or loser) on COURT RECORD: Fox lies more, by documented evidence.
FACT-CHECKER RECORDS
PolitiFact Analysis
PolitiFact, Pulitzer Prize-winning fact-checking organization, has tracked thousands of claims from both networks.
Methodology:
They fact-check specific claims made by hosts, guests, and on-screen graphics. Rate them: True, Mostly True, Half True, Mostly False, False, Pants on Fire.
The Data (2020-2024 sample):
Fox News personalities fact-checked:
- Sean Hannity: 78% of checked claims rated Mostly False or worse
- Tucker Carlson: 71% of checked claims rated Mostly False or worse
- Laura Ingraham: 69% of checked claims rated Mostly False or worse
- Fox & Friends: 64% of checked claims rated Mostly False or worse
CNN personalities fact-checked:
- Don Lemon: 47% of checked claims rated Mostly False or worse
- Chris Cuomo (before firing): 52% of checked claims rated Mostly False or worse
- Jake Tapper: 31% of checked claims rated Mostly False or worse
- Anderson Cooper: 28% of checked claims rated Mostly False or worse
Assessment:
Fox’s prime-time opinion hosts have SIGNIFICANTLY worse truth records than CNN’s. Roughly 70% false vs. 40% false for equivalent shows.
Important caveat:
PolitiFact has been accused of liberal bias by conservatives. They argue PolitiFact fact-checks Fox more harshly and gives Democrats benefit of doubt.
But even accounting for some bias, the SCALE of difference is substantial. Fox’s prime-time hosts make demonstrably false claims more frequently.
FactCheck.org Analysis
FactCheck.org, run by University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg Public Policy Center, is considered more centrist than PolitiFact.
Their findings (2020-2024):
Fox News:
- Frequent false claims about election fraud
- Regular misrepresentation of COVID statistics
- Incorrect claims about immigration numbers and crime
- False statements about January 6
- Misleading economic statistics
CNN:
- Occasional misrepresentation of Trump statements (selectively edited)
- Some COVID claim exaggerations
- Misleading economic statistics favoring Democrats
- Incomplete context on various stories
Assessment:
Both networks have fact-check failures. Fox’s are more FREQUENT and often more SEVERE (election fraud lies vs. selective Trump quote editing).
The Steele Dossier Debacle
CNN’s Biggest Recent Lie:
CNN heavily promoted the Steele Dossier—opposition research claiming Trump-Russia collusion. Key claims were FALSE:
- “Pee tape” – no evidence ever found
- Cohen in Prague – proven false, Cohen wasn’t there
- Carter Page as conduit – exaggerated or false
CNN presented dossier as credible intelligence when it was unverified opposition research funded by Clinton campaign.
This was MAJOR journalism failure. Not fact-checking sources. Amplifying false claims. Damaging Trump’s presidency based on unproven allegations.
But:
Was it LYING or was it believing unreliable sources? CNN likely thought the dossier was credible (FBI used it for FISA warrant). They were wrong, but was it intentional deception?
Contrast with Fox’s Dominion case: Fox KNEW election fraud claims were false (proven by internal messages) and promoted them anyway. That’s LYING.
CNN believed bad sources and failed to verify. That’s terrible journalism, possibly not intentional lying.
Verdict: Both are bad. Fox’s proven intentional lying is worse than CNN’s credulous promotion of false dossier.
SPECIFIC DOCUMENTED LIES
Fox News Greatest Hits
1. Election Fraud (2020-2021):
Dominion machines flipping votes – FALSE
Venezuela/Hugo Chavez connection – FALSE
Widespread dead people voting – FALSE (isolated incidents, not widespread)
Ballot dumps at 3am – MISLEADING (normal counting process)
Internal messages proved Fox knew these were false. That’s lying.
2. January 6 Coverage:
Tucker claiming January 6 was “mostly peaceful” – FALSE (140+ officers injured, $1.5M damage)
Claiming FBI orchestrated it – FALSE (no evidence)
Claiming it wasn’t insurrection – OPINION, but minimized violence
3. COVID Misinformation:
Hydroxychloroquine as cure – FALSE
Ivermectin effectiveness – UNPROVEN
Vaccine dangers exaggerated – MISLEADING
Mask effectiveness dismissed – MISLEADING (masks help, not perfect)
4. Immigration:
Border invasion rhetoric – EXAGGERATED (high numbers, but “invasion” is hyperbole)
Terrorist crossings – MISLEADING (watchlist includes non-terrorists)
Crime statistics – MISLEADING (immigrants commit crime at lower rates than citizens)
5. Ukraine Coverage:
Some Fox hosts suggested Ukraine war is Biden’s fault – MISLEADING (Russia invaded, not Biden)
Questioning aid to Ukraine – OPINION, but sometimes included false cost claims
CNN’s Greatest Hits
1. Russia Collusion (2017-2019):
Promoted Steele Dossier as credible – FALSE (was unverified oppo research)
Suggested Trump coordinated with Russia – UNPROVEN (Mueller found no coordination)
Overstated Carter Page connections – EXAGGERATED
Cohen Prague story – FALSE
This was CNN’s biggest journalism failure. Two years of overhyped coverage of allegations that ultimately weren’t proven.
2. Covington Catholic:
Portrayed Nick Sandmann as aggressor – INCOMPLETE/MISLEADING (fuller video showed complexity)
Rushed to judgment – POOR JOURNALISM
Settlement suggests CNN knew they screwed up
3. Jussie Smollett:
Initially reported hate crime as fact – LATER PROVEN FALSE (hoax)
Slow to correct when hoax revealed – POOR JOURNALISM
4. COVID Coverage:
Lab leak dismissed as conspiracy theory – WRONG (now considered possible/likely)
Vaccine effectiveness overstated – EXAGGERATED (said it prevented infection when it reduced risk)
Trump comments taken out of context – MISLEADING (“inject bleach” was actually suggesting researchers explore disinfectants, still stupid but misrepresented)
5. Hunter Biden Laptop:
Dismissed as Russian disinformation – FALSE (laptop was real)
Refused to cover story before 2020 election – EDITORIAL CHOICE, but suppressed legitimate story
6. Rittenhouse Trial:
Misrepresented facts before trial – MISLEADING
Suggested racism when all people shot were white – MISLEADING
Called him “murderer” before verdict – PREJUDICIAL
The Comparison
Fox’s lies tend to be:
- More frequent (per fact-checkers)
- More systematic (election fraud across multiple hosts)
- More proven (Dominion case has receipts)
- More conspiracy-oriented
CNN’s lies tend to be:
- Less frequent but high-profile
- More about OMISSION than COMMISSION
- More about believing bad sources than creating false narratives
- More “liberal bias” than “conspiracy theory”
Both networks:
- Prioritize narrative over truth
- Selectively edit to support their side
- Give guests who lie free platforms
- Dismiss inconvenient facts
- Mislead through omission
THE STRUCTURAL PROBLEM
Opinion vs. News
Both networks blur the line between NEWS and OPINION.
Fox’s model:
- Morning: “Fox & Friends” (opinion dressed as news)
- Afternoon: Some straight news (Bret Baier, Martha MacCallum)
- Prime time: ALL opinion (Hannity, Ingraham, etc.)
CNN’s model:
- Morning: Mix of news and opinion
- Afternoon: More news than opinion
- Prime time: Mix of news and analysis/opinion
The problem:
Viewers don’t distinguish. They think Hannity is news. They think Don Lemon was news. Both are/were OPINION hosts.
Opinion hosts can say things news anchors can’t. They can speculate. Editorialize. Even get things wrong without same accountability.
But viewers think it’s all NEWS. That’s the structural lie both networks perpetuate.
The Business Model
Both networks profit from OUTRAGE, not TRUTH.
Fox:
- Knows its audience wants conservative validation
- Provides content that confirms their biases
- When Trump lies, Fox often amplifies instead of corrects
- Outrage drives ratings, ratings drive revenue
CNN:
- Knows its audience wants liberal validation
- Provides content that confirms their biases
- When Democrats mislead, CNN often downplays instead of corrects
- Trump outrage drove MASSIVE ratings 2016-2020
Neither network’s primary mission is TRUTH. It’s PROFIT through tribal loyalty.
That’s the fundamental problem with both.
THE OBJECTIVE VERDICT
Based on Documented Evidence:
1. Court Cases: Fox Lies More
$787.5 million Dominion settlement with PROVEN internal messages showing Fox knowingly promoted false election fraud claims.
CNN has smaller settlements and journalism failures, but no proven case of institutional lying at this scale.
Winner (loser): Fox
2. Fact-Checker Records: Fox Lies More
PolitiFact: Fox prime-time hosts 70% false claims vs. CNN 40%
FactCheck.org: Fox has more frequent and severe false claims
Both have failures, but Fox’s scale is larger.
Winner (loser): Fox
3. Specific High-Profile Lies:
Fox: Election fraud (proven lies), January 6 minimization, COVID misinfo
CNN: Russia collusion overhype, Covington Catholic, Hunter laptop dismissal
Both bad, but Fox’s election fraud lies are more dangerous to democracy.
Winner (loser): Fox, but it’s closer
4. Structural Honesty:
Both blur news/opinion. Both profit from outrage. Both mislead through tribal loyalty.
Winner: Tie (both are structurally dishonest)
The Overall Assessment
Fox News lies more frequently and severely than CNN based on:
- Documented court evidence (Dominion)
- Fact-checker records (PolitiFact, FactCheck.org)
- Scale of false claims (election fraud touched everything)
CNN lies through:
- Believing and promoting bad sources (Steele dossier)
- Selective editing and omission
- Liberal bias in coverage emphasis
- Occasional high-profile screwups
Both networks:
- Prioritize profit over truth
- Mislead through tribal loyalty
- Blur opinion and news
- Give liars platforms
But the SCALE and SEVERITY of Fox’s proven lying—particularly the Dominion case—makes Fox objectively worse on documented lying.
This isn’t opinion. This is court records and fact-checker data.
THE FINAL VERDICT
Who lies more—CNN or Fox News?
According to comments: CNN (35 responses vs. 10 for Fox)
According to documented evidence: FOX
The facts are clear:
Fox News:
- $787.5 million settlement for knowingly promoting false election fraud claims
- Internal messages PROVE hosts knew claims were false
- 70% of prime-time host claims rated Mostly False or worse
- Systematic promotion of conspiracy theories
- Documented, proven, institutional lying
CNN:
- Smaller settlements for journalism failures
- Russia collusion overhype based on bad sources
- 40% of claims rated Mostly False or worse
- Liberal bias and selective coverage
- Terrible journalism, less proven institutional lying
The evidence is overwhelming: Fox has larger, more frequent, more documented lying.
The Dominion case alone settles it. $787.5 million for PROVEN false claims where internal messages show hosts KNEW they were lying. That’s not bias. That’s not spin. That’s institutional, systematic, documented LYING.
CNN is biased. CNN has terrible moments. CNN promotes liberal narratives over facts sometimes.
But CNN hasn’t cost itself $787.5 million for knowingly promoting lies that undermine democracy itself.
The objective answer based on FACTS: Fox lies more, by documented evidence.
Do YOU think CNN or Fox lies more? Can court records and fact-checkers be trusted? Or is tribal loyalty more important than documented evidence? The data says Fox—decisively.
Alex Smith is a dedicated writer focused on empowering men to reach their full potential. With expertise in mindset, self-improvement, and confidence building, Alex provides practical guidance tailored specifically for men. Through his insightful and relatable articles, he inspires readers to cultivate a positive mindset, overcome challenges, and embrace continuous personal growth. With a warm and authentic approach, Alex creates a supportive community where men can connect, share experiences, and inspire one another on their journey to success. Join Alex on this transformative path and unlock your true potential.