At just 32 years old, Fox & Friends co-anchor Lawrence Jones is charting a path few at Fox News have taken, bringing cable news into barbershops, diners, TikTok feeds, and conversations with younger, more diverse audiences.
Jones, one of the youngest and few Black hosts with a regular seat at the network, isn’t just filling a chair. He’s helping reshape how Fox News connects with voters and viewers well beyond the studio walls.
“So often when you get behind the desk, you get isolated from the people you’re supposed to be serving,” Jones said in a recent interview. “I actually enjoy being with the people more than being in the studio.”
From Field to Feed: Making Fox News Social-First
While the traditional cable audience continues to age and shrink, Fox News was projected to lose more than 10% of its subscribers by the end of 2025, Jones is focused on building something new. His next move? Repackaging Fox & Friends for younger viewers on platforms like TikTok and Instagram.
“How do we make it more consumable to the young people?” he asked. “That’s probably going to be even more of my role.”
Executives at Fox seem to agree. As of Q3 2024, the show’s audience in the key 25–54 demo was up 11%, and viewership among 18–49 year-olds surged 25%. New advertisers in tech, finance, and entertainment were already taking notice.
A Different Kind of Conservative Voice
Jones didn’t take a traditional route to Fox News stardom. Inspired early on by Barack Obama’s pre-presidency activism, he says he became disillusioned with Democratic politics and turned to local activism before eventually finding a home in conservative media. Before Fox, he worked with Glenn Beck’s TheBlaze.
Even early in his Fox tenure, Jones pushed back, famously turning down a regular slot on Sean Hannity’s show at first.
“I’m more libertarian. You’re more conservative,” he recalls telling Hannity. “I just want to be able to do what I do.”
Hannity’s reply? “We’ll make it a thing on TV.”
That independence has carried over into how Jones talks about politics. On Donald Trump, he says, “Even I disagree with him sometimes,” especially about his rhetoric. “I’m from Texas. My mom would probably choke me if I said some of the things he says.”
Jones also doesn’t shy away from economic issues. With family members who struggle to make ends meet, he says he’s acutely aware of inflation’s daily toll.
“I can deal with eggs being increased by $5, because I’m paid very well here at Fox. But for my family members, that’s not the case.”
Building a Legacy — On and Off Camera
Jones has covered everything from shootings to natural disasters, often live from the scene. He’s visited 48 states for Fox News (Alaska and Hawaii still on the list), and producers say that real-world experience is part of why his segments land.
“That’s my bread and butter,” he said. “Traveling, doing diners, talking with people.”
Still, he believes his rise at Fox hasn’t been fully recognized by the broader media, in part, he suggests, because he’s a conservative.
“If I was a liberal Black man that hosted his own show in his 20s and now is part of a franchise, there would be more coverage… But because it’s Fox News, and I’m more of a freedom-loving conservative, that’s not considered progress.”
Fox News executives say they see a long runway ahead for Jones. In an interview from late 2024, Megan Albano, EVP of morning programming, said:
“He’s had a very fast trajectory, but there is such a future still for him.”
