Fact check: What are the age demographics of Fox News, CNN, and MSNBC viewers?

1. Summary of the results

Based on the available analyses, cable news audiences across all three major networks skew significantly older. The most striking finding is that the median age of viewers for Fox News, CNN, and MSNBC is approximately 70 years old ^[1]. This represents an exceptionally mature demographic compared to the general population.

For MSNBC specifically, more detailed demographic data reveals that 74% of the audience is 50 or older, with 44% being 65 or older according to a 2019 Pew Research Center survey ^[2]. Additional sources confirm this trend, noting that MSNBC's median viewer age is around 71 ^[3].

The analyses also reveal that MSNBC's audience is highly partisan, with 95% identifying as Democrats ^[2], indicating not just age concentration but also strong political alignment.

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original question seeks comprehensive age demographics for all three networks, but the analyses provide incomplete data coverage. While there is some information about CNN viewership frequency by age groups from 2017 and 2023 ^{[4] [5]}, specific demographic breakdowns for Fox News are notably absent from the provided sources.

Several important contextual factors emerge from the analyses that weren't addressed in the original question:

• Younger generations prefer online news sources over traditional cable news ^[3]
• Older viewers show greater comfort with familiar media formats and traditional cable news consumption patterns ^[3]
• The demographic concentration has significant implications for advertising revenue and content strategy for these networks, as they cater to audiences with specific age-related preferences and consumption habits

Who benefits from these demographics: Cable news networks benefit financially from older audiences who tend to have higher disposable income and are more likely to maintain cable subscriptions, while advertisers targeting older demographics find these platforms particularly valuable.

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question itself does not contain misinformation or bias - it's a straightforward request for demographic information. However, the question's framing might inadvertently suggest that comprehensive, current data exists for all three networks equally.

The main limitation is data availability rather than bias: The analyses reveal that complete demographic data is not uniformly available for all three networks, with Fox News demographic specifics being particularly underrepresented in the provided sources. Additionally, some data points are from different time periods ^{[6] [7] [8]}, which could affect the accuracy of direct comparisons between networks.

The absence of more recent, comprehensive data for all three networks simultaneously represents a significant gap that prevents a fully balanced assessment of current viewer demographics across the cable news landscape.