Why Canada’s Left-Leaning News Agencies Despise Fox News—and How It Ties to Their Hatred of Donald Trump

By Mindi Soren

In Canada’s relatively restrained media ecosystem, the venom directed at Fox News by left-leaning mainstream outlets like CBC, The Globe and Mail, and CTV News stands out. This isn’t just a transborder rivalry; it’s a deep-seated clash of values, intensified by Fox’s role as a U.S. conservative juggernaut and its close ties to Donald Trump. For Canada’s progressive media, Fox represents a threat to journalistic norms and a mirror to their contempt for Trump’s politics—a disdain that resonates deeply in a country historically wary of American excess.

Fox News as the Polar Opposite of Canadian Media Norms

Canada’s mainstream news agencies, particularly those with a left-lean like CBC and The Globe and Mail, operate within a tradition of public service and measured tone. CBC, as a publicly funded broadcaster, aims for balance, while The Globe prides itself on sober analysis—both often critiqued as tilting progressive, yet far from the overt partisanship of American cable news. Fox News, launched in 1996 by Rupert Murdoch and Roger Ailes, shattered that mold south of the border, building a brand on populist, right-wing commentary that feels alien to Canada’s media ethos.

For Canadian outlets, Fox’s blend of bombast—think Sean Hannity’s fiery monologues or Tucker Carlson’s culture-war crusades—and its rejection of “elite” objectivity is a cardinal sin. A 2023 analysis by the Canadian Media Research Consortium found CBC and CTV leaning left on social issues like climate and healthcare, but they maintain a veneer of neutrality that Fox openly scorns. Canadian editors see Fox less as a newsroom and more as a megaphone for divisive ideology, a perception that grates against their self-image as guardians of fact-based discourse.

The Trump-Fox Nexus Hits a Canadian Nerve

Donald Trump’s rise supercharged this tension. Fox News didn’t just cover Trump; it became his cheerleader, with hosts like Hannity advising him off-air and Fox & Friends shaping his morning tweets. In Canada, where Trump’s brash nationalism and policies—like tariffs threatening trade or border wall rhetoric—were met with skepticism, Fox’s unwavering support struck a raw nerve. A 2021 Angus Reid poll showed 68% of Canadians viewed Trump unfavorably, a sentiment echoed in editorial boards from Toronto to Vancouver.

Left-leaning Canadian outlets latched onto this. CBC’s The National ran exposés on Fox’s influence during Trump’s presidency, framing it as a pipeline for misinformation—think election fraud claims in 2020 that spilled into Canadian debates via right-wing fringe groups. The Globe and Mail critiqued Fox’s role in amplifying Trump’s anti-immigrant stance, a stark contrast to Canada’s multicultural self-narrative. For these agencies, Fox wasn’t just a U.S. problem—it was a cautionary tale of what could seep northward, threatening the progressive consensus they often champion.

Cultural and Political Fault Lines

The hatred isn’t purely ideological; it’s cultural. Canada’s media landscape, while not immune to bias, lacks a Fox-style giant. Outlets like Rebel News flirt with similar conservative populism, but their reach pales beside Fox’s 4.1 million nightly U.S. viewers at its 2020 peak (Nielsen data) versus CBC’s 1.2 million for The National (Numeris, 2024). Fox’s scale and swagger—bolstered by Trump’s outsized persona—dwarf Canada’s more subdued players, fueling a mix of envy and alarm.

Trump’s policies hit Canadian interests hard, from trade spats (e.g., 2018’s steel tariffs) to border security debates, and Fox’s defense of him felt like a personal affront. When Trump mused about “buying” Greenland in 2019, Fox cheered his boldness while CTV News mocked it as imperial folly—a microcosm of the divide. Post-2024 election speculation about Trump’s return only deepens this rift, with Canadian outlets warning of Fox-fueled populism inspiring figures like Pierre Poilievre, whose Conservative Party gains traction with similar anti-elite vibes.

A Shared Enemy in a Shifting World

For Canada’s left-leaning media, Fox News and Trump are two sides of the same coin: brash, unapologetic, and at odds with progressive ideals like universal healthcare or climate action, which dominate Canadian discourse. Fox’s 2025 coverage—perhaps defending Trump’s latest moves or attacking “woke” policies—only widens the gap. When CBC or The Toronto Star decry Fox’s influence, they’re not just critiquing a rival; they’re signaling virtue to a Canadian audience that largely shares their Trump aversion.

This dynamic isn’t static. As Canada’s news sector faces “devastation” from layoffs and closures, the contrast with Fox’s resilience stings. Yet the hatred persists, rooted in a rejection of Fox’s style and Trump’s substance—a transborder feud that’s as much about identity as it is about politics.

Mindi Soren is a freelance journalist and writer for Vertias Expositae

You can reach her at mindi.soren@veritasexpositae.com