I've long thought of conservative-leaning news outlets as being only small counterbalances to the dominant liberal slant that exists in the mainstream media. Fox News is a perfect example. Though the network fares well against its national news competitors on an individual basis, it is merely a lone conservative voice in an industry that is overwhelmingly liberal. In a country of roughly 300 million people, the highest rated shows on Fox News average around 3 million viewers a night. That number may make for a strong cable rating, but it also demonstrates that the network has relatively little influence on public opinion - directly anyway.