Mediaite’s 2021 Most Influential in News Media is: Tucker Carlson
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Our ranking of the Most Influential in News Media dropped Tuesday morning. The annual list was released after months of consideration, narrowing down the biggest names in the industry to the 75 who truly drove the news cycle this year.
Fox News host Tucker Carlson earned the top spot on our list. He’s the most-watched person in all of cable news and quite possibly the most influential conservative in America.
Read our full case for why Tucker Carlson is Mediaite’s Most Influential in News Media here.
Carlson’s stardom surged during Trump’s years as president and while some believed that might change this year after the Capitol riot, the Fox News host cemented himself as an unyielding powerhouse by continuing to dominate all competing cable news shows. Carlson’s polarizing style has viewers desperate to see what he has to say next. His fans embrace Carlson’s ability to mirror Trump’s provocative rhetoric, while critics continuously respond with outrage.
Even if you don’t tune into Carlson’s prime time show, it’s nearly impossible to avoid his opinions repeated ad nauseum in viral tweets and op-eds.
Carlson’s prime time show isn’t his only measure of influence. Fox News doubled down on their star in 2021, expanding his platform with daytime programming and documentaries for their streaming platform Fox Nation.
Provocative podcast phenomenon Joe Rogan placed second on our list, followed by Fox News Media CEO Suzanne Scott, president of CNN Jeff Zucker, and award-winning journalist from CNN Clarissa Ward.
Other big names to make our list: Rachel Maddow, Peter Doocy, Joy Reid, Bill Maher, the hosts of Fox & Friends, Dan Bongino, Michael Strahan, Megyn Kelly, Nicolle Wallace, Mike Lindell, Chris Cuomo and more.
