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Fact check: How does Nexstar Media's coverage of politics compare to other major news networks?
Executive Summary
Nexstar’s NewsNation has grown from a struggling start to a middle-of-the-road cable player that sometimes outdraws CNN and MSNBC for specific events, yet its parent company’s reach and past controversies fuel debate about bias and editorial priorities. Recent coverage and ratings spikes suggest rising influence, while critics point to documented instances of partisan or harmful content and corporate decisions that raise questions about journalistic independence [1] [2] [3] [4] [5].
1. Ratings Ripples: When NewsNation Tops the Usual Suspects
NewsNation recorded notable ratings victories in September 2025, including a coverage window of Charlie Kirk’s memorial that averaged over 600,000 viewers and peaked near two million, and weekend prime-time wins against CNN and MSNBC, signaling audience appetite for alternatives [1] [2]. These figures, reported in multiple September 2025 pieces, show that NewsNation can outperform legacy cable rivals on specific events, though reports also note it still lags behind Fox News and CNBC in overall reach. The ratings help explain why Nexstar continues to invest in NewsNation’s 24/7 operation and market positioning [2] [3].
2. The “Middle” Claim: Editorial Positioning Versus Perception
Nexstar and NewsNation have publicly framed the network as aiming for a centrist, middle-of-the-road approach, a positioning repeated in retrospectives about the network’s fifth year and its evolution into a 24/7 outlet [3]. Internal turmoil documented in earlier reporting shows staff departures and concerns about conservative slant during the network’s build-out, which complicates the claim of strict centrism; critics and industry accounts describe a tension between the stated mission and some programming choices, suggesting intentional positioning that sometimes collides with practice [6].
3. Documented Criticisms: Race, Immigration, and Host Conduct Allegations
Independent watchdog reporting from November 2023 alleges NewsNation propagated racist tropes, anti-immigrant narratives, and defended figures accused of sexual misconduct, citing on-air comments by named hosts as evidence of editorial failures [4]. These allegations predate the 2025 ratings wins and remain central to critiques that NewsNation’s editorial controls are insufficient. The existence of such documented criticisms is important context when comparing NewsNation to other networks: viewership gains do not erase past content controversies and shape how audiences and watchdogs evaluate its political coverage [4].
4. Corporate Reach: Local Stations and National Ambitions Create Tension
Nexstar’s ownership of 196 local stations in 114 markets gives it unparalleled distribution for local news, which NewsNation can leverage for statehouse and regional political coverage, a structural advantage in reach and sourcing [7]. However, analysts and reporting note corporate management often prioritizes profitability over long-form investigative journalism, potentially narrowing editorial ambition and influencing story selection and depth. This tension between scale and resource allocation differentiates Nexstar from networks with different business models and affects the comprehensiveness of political coverage [7].
5. Corporate Actions and Political Fallout: Programming Decisions Under Scrutiny
Nexstar’s decision, alongside Sinclair, to pull late-night programming such as Jimmy Kimmel’s show prompted congressional queries in September 2025 about potential political motivations and regulatory leverage, illustrating how corporate programming moves can invite questions about editorial and political influence from lawmakers [5]. Such actions blur the line between content curation and political posture, feeding narratives that conglomerate ownership can influence what viewers see and how political stories are framed, which matters when comparing Nexstar to other major media owners who face similar scrutiny [5].
6. Evolutionary Trajectory: From Turmoil to Competitive Player
Early reporting in 2021 documented significant staff turnover and skepticism about NewsNation’s direction as it attempted to scale into a national news network with centrist aspirations [6]. By 2025, multiple reports describe a network that has matured into a recognizable cable player with measurable audience growth, though still behind the top-rated outlets overall. This evolution underscores that Nexstar’s coverage cannot be judged solely by past missteps nor solely by recent ratings: both phases inform current capabilities and credibility [3] [6].
7. How to Compare: What the Evidence Collectively Shows
When compared to major networks, NewsNation’s political coverage stands out for its growing viewership on selective events, middle-ground editorial branding, and vast local reach, yet it is simultaneously burdened by past content criticisms and corporate decisions that raise editorial independence questions [1] [3] [4] [7]. The network can surpass CNN and MSNBC on discrete nights, but structural differences—ownership scale, profit priorities, and documented controversies—mean its coverage is not simply a neutral "third way" but a product shaped by commercial imperatives and contested editorial choices [2] [7] [4].
8. Bottom Line: A Rising Player with Unresolved Questions
Nexstar’s NewsNation is an increasingly relevant political news source, capable of drawing substantial audiences and leveraging a huge local footprint, yet persistent criticisms about biased or harmful content and corporate programming decisions temper claims of consistent neutrality. For readers comparing networks, the full picture requires weighing recent audience gains against documented content and governance concerns; the network’s trajectory suggests influence will grow, but so will scrutiny from critics and lawmakers as its national prominence increases [1] [4] [5].