Sunday’s Academy Awards audience declined from the show’s 2025 count, losing viewership in an important advertiser-coveted demographic, Nielsen data released Tuesday show. The 2026 Oscars TV audience numbers reveal several low-lights, including: Viewership declined 9%, from 19.7 million to 17.9 million. The drop was the first decline in audience in five years. The audience total was the lowest annual number in four years. Among adults 18-49, 2026’s 3.92 rating (equivalent to about 5.34 million people in that age group), fell 14% from 4.54 in 2025. The show has not topped 20 million viewers since 2019. 2026’s annual decline in audience of 9% was larger than the drop of two other major entertainment awards shows, the Grammys (down 6%) and the Golden Globes (also down 6%). In 2025, Nielsen’s “TV” audience total for the Oscars began including viewers who watch the awards show streaming on Hulu, in addition to those who tune into ABC’s network broadcast. ABC initially reported that its Oscar audience fell 8% in 2025 – but, then it added in its Hulu audience and “revised” the count upward to claim a 1% increase in viewership. Both ABC and Hulu are owned by the Walt Disney Company, which featured the Oscars on its streaming service for the first time last year. Politics have had a negative impact on Oscars viewership, as both show hosts and awards recipients have used the show’s platform to voice political messages. The mean-spirited, blatant leftist propaganda has turned off many viewers by focusing on politics, instead of celebrating entertainment and production quality. After decades in the 40-50 million viewer range, annual Oscars viewership has been in steady decline beginning in 2000, taking a break from its losses during the Biden Administration (when viewers could count on being subjected to less political vitriol). Like late-night talk shows that have abandoned entertainment for hateful political rhetoric, today’s awards shows are losing viewers due to what Hollywood in Toto’s Christian Toto describes as the “Trump Effect”: “Audiences know the assembled artists can’t help themselves when Trump is in office. They must Resist™ at all costs. And, if that means lower ratings, so be it. “President Trump has had a similar effect on the modern award show. These celebrity galas often feast on anti-Trump lectures, be it those ‘ICE out’ pins or mocking the First Family. The messages may differ, but the target is typically the same. President Trump.” “And, as a result, Hollywood, Inc. watched awards show ratings slump,” Toto explains.

Note to the British socialists at The Guardian: Smashing up the windows of Jewish-linked establishments does not have a glorious history. Jonathan Liew’s offensive column in the often-offensive far-left U.K. newspaper The Guardian is introduced this way: “A corner of north London where food has become a battleground in the Israel-Gaza war -- A smashed window here, a provocative sticker there. In an age when protest feels increasingly meaningless, it’s no wonder that acts of petty symbolism are on the rise.” The “smashed window” subhead refers to the violent vandalism suffered by a newly opened branch of Gail's, an upscale bakery chain in the United Kingdom. Liew, who has a pattern of anti-Jewish columns, casually passed along why Gail's windows had been shattered in the name of Palestine. The column's timing makes it even nastier, in the wake of attacks on Jewish schools in Europe and a synagogue in the United States. But first came a self-conscious, densely detailed description of a meal at the nearby sainted Palestinian café, which comes off like a Pete Wells food review suffering indigestion. First comes the hummus: studded with chickpeas, anointed with a little reservoir of olive oil, greedily smeared up with hunks of pitta bread and messy fingers. Then the tabbouleh, then some homemade falafels, and then the lentil soup, and already the senses are overloaded, plates and bowls spilling off the edge of the table. But there shall be no reprieve, for the mains are coming. Liew painted a clash between sainted Palestinians vs sinister Israelis (the bakery chain has the most tenuous links to Israel, which apparently makes the new store target-worthy). ….Amid the chaotic bustle of north London, food is one of her links back, a marker of the Palestinian identity that Israel’s bombs and snipers are so intent on erasing. Liew is laying down big hints here, portraying Gail’s as a metaphor for mighty Israel (the restaurant was founded by an Israeli baker no longer connected with the company), and, most notoriously, of “heavy-handed high-street aggression” for the crime of existing next to a Palestinian-owned café. ....Critics accuse it of accelerating gentrification and squeezing out smaller outlets. Campaigners point out that its parent company, Bain Capital, invests heavily in military technology, including Israeli security companies. And so even though Gail’s describes itself as “a British business with no specific connections to any country or government outside the UK”, its very presence 20 metres away from a small independent Palestinian cafe feels quietly symbolic, an act of heavy-handed high-street aggression. Bain Capital also owns part of Burger King and the UK pizza chain Pizza Express, which aren’t being harassed. The night before it was due to open, Gail’s was daubed with red paint. Less than a week later, all its windows were smashed in. Slogans reading “reject corporate Zionism” and “fuck Bain Capital” were written on its walls.... One doesn’t have to be paranoid to think The Guardian is trafficking in anti-semitic tropes: And so somehow these two north London cafes, from two entirely separate worlds, with what we have to assume are two almost entirely separate clienteles, have found themselves on the frontline of a war. A deeply asymmetric war, defined by gross imbalances in power and resources and platforms... Meanwhile, the Palestinian café is sanctified as brave for even existing (though no one has tried to shut it down through violence). ....In the current oppressive climate, even to exist as a Palestinian in western society is to be the target of aggression and suspicion, to be tainted as a murderer and an antisemite.... Liew nervily portrayed the Palestinian cause (supported by elites in every country, the United Nations, and other international bodies) as “disenfranchised" while again rationalizing anti-Jewish violence. Does any of this move the dial in the occupied territories even one iota? Almost certainly not. But perhaps this is simply the nature of an increasingly disenfranchised age. Palestinian activism has arguably never been less capable of exerting a meaningful influence on global events, and so is increasingly defined by small acts of petty symbolism. A smashed window. A provocative sticker. You can’t lay a glove on the US-Israeli military-industrial complex, and you can’t get your local council to boycott Israeli goods, and you couldn’t stand with Palestine Action and the protest march on Sunday has been banned by the Metropolitan police. So some people then direct their ire at the bakery with distant links to Israeli security funding.

In a recent episode of the Will Cain Podcast, fill-in host Tim Young sat down with David Bozell, President of the Media Research Center (MRC), to discuss troubling patterns of media bias on the Big Four News apps and mainstream coverage of U.S. actions against Iran. Bozell highlighted stark imbalances in news aggregation. In February, Google promoted stories from 314 left-leaning outlets compared to just 11 right-leaning ones. Apple News performed even worse in some months: January saw 440 left-leaning outlets featured with zero right-leaning, while February improved slightly to 400 left-leaning and only 8 right-leaning. These platforms, preloaded on billions of devices, Apple News on iPhones, Google News on Androids, and MSN on Windows PCs, act as primary news gateways, effectively blocking conservative voices. Bozell pointed to bizarre headlines elevated by these aggregators, including Huffington Post's "Too Many Toots: What Excessive Farting Says About Your Health" and Variety's "What Bad Bunny's Super Bowl Halftime Show Taught Me About MAGA Men." He contrasted this with the exclusion of outlets like Daily Wire, Daily Caller, and Daily Signal, while left-leaning sites like Daily Beast received heavy promotion. The discussion turned to coverage of escalating U.S.-Iran conflict. Bozell criticized CNN for what appeared to be a sanitized, regime-guided tour of Iran, reminiscent of propaganda in North Korea. CNN defended itself by noting invitations to Iranian "holiday parties," which MRC analysts called a weak self-own. MRC's @DavidBozell and @TimRunsHisMouth roast CNN for their "exclusive access" to Iran pic.twitter.com/7ciMCQzqyr — Media Research Center (@theMRC) March 18, 2026 Outlets like The Washington Post published glowing obituaries for Ayatollah Khamenei, describing him as "avuncular" with a "bushy white beard and easy smile," fond of poetry—portrayals critics saw as overly sympathetic. Late-night TV amplified anti-American sentiment: MRC tallied 235 of 250 jokes about the conflict targeting the U.S. and allies, with hosts like Jimmy Fallon, Stephen Colbert, and Jimmy Kimmel repeating variations of the same line, framing it as a distraction from other issues. Bozell argued this reflects deeper "Trump derangement syndrome" and a blockade against conservative media, despite its growth. He praised efforts by figures like FCC's Brendan Carr and FTC's Andrew Ferguson, who have pressured Apple over potential deceptive practices in promising neutral news curation. Conservatives, Bozell urged, must "plant their flag" on these dominant platforms to ensure fair representation. As tech giants shape what millions see daily, the fight against bias is crucial for a balanced information ecosystem.  

If you thought the elitist media couldn't sink any lower, think again. This Tuesday morning on Fox Business' The Bottom Line, MRC NewsBusters Executive Editor Tim Graham joined Dagen McDowell and Brian Brenberg to dismantle a news cycle that has moved past bias and straight into delusion. First up: An NPR headline that co-host Dagen McDowell called a “sappy memoir” for the Michigan synagogue attacker. Rather than focusing on the victims or the broader threat facing Jewish communities, NPR chose to highlight the attacker’s “gentle” nature. As Tim put it, “How sympathetic with Hezbollah are you going to be?” When you drive a vehicle loaded with explosives into a synagogue, you’d think the coverage would be negative. Not at NPR. "NPR'S TWISTED PRIORITIES" is the right graphic for NPR offering a story feeling sorry for the attempted synagogue shooter/bomber in Michigan. He was a "well-mannered and gentle person"? That's just nuts. Thanks, Fox Biz. pic.twitter.com/tsPAw9cOS4 — Tim Graham (@TimJGraham) March 18, 2026 But the gaslighting doesn't stop with the airwaves. Tim broke down a new MRC Free Speech America study revealing Google News’ "serious allergy" to the truth. Last month, the platform promoted 314 left-leaning articles while allowing a measly 11 from the right. The fight over media visibility online continues. @TimJGraham weighs in on a new report examining Google News coverage. pic.twitter.com/0N5El98sw1 — MRC NewsBusters (@newsbusters) March 17, 2026 To cap it off, Tim took aim at the "courageous" Jimmy Kimmel and the Oscar elites. While Kimmel pretends he’s a free-speech hero for comparing Donald Trump to Hitler, Graham didn't hold back, noting that the rest of us see it for what it is: "It’s not courageous. It’s just stupid and it’s lying."

On Tuesday morning, Joe Kent, President Trump's Director of The  National Counterterrorism Center, resigned his post, and stated he was doing so because he is opposed to the war with Iran, claiming that Iran posed no imminent threat to the U.S., and that we started the war due to, "pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby." Kent, who has been accused of having ties to white nationalists, also accused some in the American media of misinformation on the Iran threat, so how would the media cover this? It was a mixed bag for the nightly newscasts, some more comprehensive than others in giving viewers information  on Kent.  ABC's World News Tonight's Rachel Scott seemed to cover more than most in her report. SCOTT: Tonight the the Administration's top counterterrorism official resigning in protest over President Trump's war with Iran, declaring Iran posed no immanent threat to our nation. Joe Kent Director of The National Counter Terrorism Center writing, 'I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran. It's clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.  Kent's accusing Israel of a misinformation campaign to deceive Trump into believing that Iran posed an imminent threat to the United States, and that 'should we strike now, there was a clear path to swift victory. This was a lie.' President Trump who has long supported Kent's political career, despite Kent's controversies and past associations with anti-Semites, today brushing off his resignation. TRUMP: I always thought he was a nice guy. But I always thought he was weak on security. Very weak on security. I didn't know him well. SCOTT:  Today the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee Mark Warner saying, "Joe Kent's record is deeply troubling. But on this point, he is right. There was no credible evidence of an imminent threat from Iran." On CBS Evening News, Reporter Ed O'Keefe read from Kent's post, "It's clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby." No mention of past accusations against him. Over on NBC Nightly News, White House correspondent Gabe Gutierrez read Kent's accusations about Israel's "pressure" and its "powerful American lobby" and reported, "Kent's statement also drawing rebukes for alleged anti-Semitic overtones," citing Republican congressman Don Bacon's post on Kent's departure: "Good riddance  anti-Semitism is an evil I detest, and we surely don't want it in our government." PBS NewsHour foreign-affairs correspondent Nick Schifrin mentioned Kent's attack on the media.  SCHIFRIN:  He (Kent) publicly resigned in protest, writing to President Trump directly, saying quote, early in this administration, high-ranking Israeli officials and influential members of the American media deployed a misinformation campaign that wholly undermined your America First platform and sowed pro-war sentiments to encourage a war with Iran. This echo chamber was used to deceive you into believing that Iran posed an imminent threat to the United States, and that should you strike now, there was a clear path to a swift victory. This was a lie.".... Kent is an army veteran who deployed 11 times, and whose wife was killed by ISIS in Syria. Schifrin did not mention that in his resignation letter, Kent blamed Israel for his wife's death in 2019, that she was killed "in a war manufactured by Israel." Fox News's Special Report With Bret Baier probably had the weakest coverage, with White House Correspondent Aishah Hasnie giving it some 30 seconds. HASNIE: Today the Director of the National Counter Terrorism Center, Joe Kent, resigned, claiming Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and that Trump bowed to pressure from Israel. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said, quote, the President had strong and compelling evidence that Iran was going to attack the United States first. TRUMP: I always thought he was weak on security. Very weak on security. HASNIE: Two sources from inside the administration confirm to Fox News Kent was not involved in briefings about Iran.  None of the reports came right out and called Kent's post anti-Semitic. The New York Post Editorial Board noted that Kent had said back in 2020, that Trump should have attacked Iran's nuclear and ballistic capabilities, How did they all miss that one? Not one network went there.