The Brett Kavanaugh hearings were a rare case where all of the evening cable news shows covered the same thing — but those shows reinforced the wildly different views Americans had of what happened and what it meant.
Why it matters: We're living in different universes of news now, and if your news diet is heavy on Fox and MSNBC, your impression of the most polarizing Supreme Court nomination in decades will be different from much of the rest of the country — because it has been shaped to fit what you want to hear.
Here's what you would have heard from your favorite cable news channel the night before and the night after the hearing with Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford, compared to what everyone else heard.
Thursday night, after the hearing:
- Fox, Tucker Carlson: "Kavanaugh fights back"
- MSNBC, Chris Hayes: "Christine Blasey Ford describes sexual assault allegations against Supreme Court nominee"
- Fox, Sean Hannity: "Kavanaugh calls confirmation process 'a national disgrace'"
- MSNBC, Rachel Maddow: "Kavanaugh: 'I will not be intimidated into withdrawing'"
- Fox, Laura Ingraham: "The Kavanaugh/Ford hearings: A case of emotion vs. fact"
- MSNBC, Lawrence O'Donnell: "Kavanaugh committee vote set for 9:30 am Friday"
Wednesday night, before the hearing:
- Fox, Tucker Carlson: "Trump focuses on Kavanaugh chaos"
- MSNBC, Chris Hayes: "New disturbing allegations"
- Fox, Sean Hannity: "Democrats' shameless obstruction tactics"
- MSNBC, Rachel Maddow: "I am here today not because I want to be. I am terrified." (Ford testimony)
- Fox, Laura Ingraham: "The accusers' last act"
- MSNBC, Lawrence O'Donnell: Michael Avenatti interview