• This is a political forum that is non-biased/non-partisan and treats every person's position on topics equally. This debate forum is not aligned to any political party. In today's politics, many ideas are split between and even within all the political parties. Often we find ourselves agreeing on one platform but some topics break our mold. We are here to discuss them in a civil political debate. If this is your first visit to our political forums, be sure to check out the RULES. Registering for debate politics is necessary before posting. Register today to participate - it's free!

Study Shows Fox News Viewers Less Informed on Major Stories

T

TheDemSocialist

Gradualist
DP Veteran
Joined
Apr 13, 2011
Messages
34,951
Reaction score
16,311
Gender
Undisclosed
Political Leaning
Socialist
According to a new poll (PDF) from Fairleigh Dickinson University, if you watch Fox News you are significantly less likely to know the correct answer to that question than if you mostly avoid news shows and newspapers all together.


[FONT=arial, sans-serif]After controlling for factors like partisanship, education, and other demographic factors, the pollsters found that Fox New viewers were 18 points less likely to know that the revolt was successful than their non-active news consuming counterparts. Fox News viewers were also 6 points less likely to know that the Syrian uprising has yet to succeed.[/FONT]

[FONT=arial, sans-serif]"Because of the controls for partisanship, we know these results are not just driven by Republicans or other groups being more likely to watch Fox News," said Dan Cassino, a Fairleigh Dickinson political science professor who took part in the analysis of the PublicMind data. "Rather, the results show us that there is something about watching Fox News that leads people to do worse on these questions than those who don’t watch any news at all."[/FONT]

[FONT=arial, sans-serif]The poll surveyed 612 adult residents of New Jersey (insert Snooki joke here), asking them where they got their news from in the previous week and then a handful of questions about current events.[/FONT]

[FONT=arial, sans-serif]
Click to expand...
[/FONT]

[FONT=arial, sans-serif]Read more @: [/FONT]Fairleigh Dickinson PublicMind Poll Shows Fox News Viewers Less Informed on Major News Stories[FONT=arial, sans-serif] Yep FOX News is the best damn new source out there! [/FONT]:lamo
[FONT=arial, sans-serif]Really comes at no [/FONT]surprise[FONT=arial, sans-serif] to me...[/FONT]

[FONT=arial, sans-serif]Thoughts?[/FONT]
[FONT=arial, sans-serif]Comments?[/FONT]
[FONT=arial, sans-serif]Response? [/FONT]
 
TheDemSocialist said:
[/COLOR][/FONT]

[FONT=arial, sans-serif]Read more @: [/FONT]Fairleigh Dickinson PublicMind Poll Shows Fox News Viewers Less Informed on Major News Stories[FONT=arial, sans-serif] Yep FOX News is the best damn new source out there! [/FONT]:lamo
[FONT=arial, sans-serif]Really comes at no [/FONT]surprise[FONT=arial, sans-serif] to me...[/FONT]

[FONT=arial, sans-serif]Thoughts?[/FONT]
[FONT=arial, sans-serif]Comments?[/FONT]
[FONT=arial, sans-serif]Response? [/FONT]
Click to expand...

Who should we be listening to, instead? Dan Rather? :lamo
 
TheDemSocialist said:
[/COLOR][/FONT]

[FONT=arial, sans-serif]Read more @: [/FONT]Fairleigh Dickinson PublicMind Poll Shows Fox News Viewers Less Informed on Major News Stories[FONT=arial, sans-serif] Yep FOX News is the best damn new source out there! [/FONT]:lamo
[FONT=arial, sans-serif]Really comes at no [/FONT]surprise[FONT=arial, sans-serif] to me...[/FONT]

[FONT=arial, sans-serif]Thoughts?[/FONT]
[FONT=arial, sans-serif]Comments?[/FONT]
[FONT=arial, sans-serif]Response? [/FONT]
Click to expand...

I am really not surprised... and that's not only Fox... some of the news content they broadcast is really borderline gossip
 
TheDemSocialist said:
[/COLOR][/FONT]

[FONT=arial, sans-serif]Read more @: [/FONT]Fairleigh Dickinson PublicMind Poll Shows Fox News Viewers Less Informed on Major News Stories[FONT=arial, sans-serif] Yep FOX News is the best damn new source out there! [/FONT]:lamo
[FONT=arial, sans-serif]Really comes at no [/FONT]surprise[FONT=arial, sans-serif] to me...[/FONT]

[FONT=arial, sans-serif]Thoughts?[/FONT]
[FONT=arial, sans-serif]Comments?[/FONT]
[FONT=arial, sans-serif]Response? [/FONT]
Click to expand...

I am really not surprised... and that's not only FOX... some of the news content they broadcast to the viewers really is borderline gossip
 
TheDemSocialist said:
Presenting a study is biased?
Click to expand...

Presenting an obviously biased study is pure partisan hackery. At least that's what we would hear from the Libbos, if someone bashed Chris Matthews and his leg travelling thrill.
 
apdst said:
Presenting an obviously biased study is pure partisan hackery. At least that's what we would hear from the Libbos, if someone bashed Chris Matthews and his leg travelling thrill.
Click to expand...

Please explain to me how this is biased: Some News Leaves People Knowing Less

It seems to me just because they found out that your favorite "news" station is presenting the news not to well really grinds your gears.. So of course this study is just a lie and "biased" right?
 
Last edited:
TheDemSocialist said:
Please explain to me how this is biased: Some News Leaves People Knowing Less

It seems to me just because they found out that your favorite "news" station is presenting the news not to well really grinds your gears.. So of course this study is just a lie and "biased" right?
Click to expand...

They're presenting the same information, with a different spin. That's basically the only difference.

Anyone that watches FNC is just as informed as someone that watches CNN, or MSNBC.
 
apdst said:
They're presenting the same information, with a different spin. That's basically the only difference.
Click to expand...

So they presented that the Egyptians didnt overthrow Mubarak?
 
apdst said:
They're presenting the same information, with a different spin. That's basically the only difference.

Anyone that watches FNC is just as informed as someone that watches CNN, or MSNBC.
Click to expand...

That is not true. That is the point of the study. Why do you think its' nickname is FauxNEWS? 18% better informed if they watched none of the above, eh?
 
I would say that study could be applied to any mainstream news network. If you watch the news you're getting a dose of emotional hyperbole and half the truth, regardless of what station you're watching. News networks are about sensationalism now in order to get ratings and make profits. They'll snag you any way they can, but the total truth is not normally one of those ways.
 
TheDemSocialist said:
[/COLOR][/FONT]

[FONT=arial, sans-serif]Read more @: [/FONT]Fairleigh Dickinson PublicMind Poll Shows Fox News Viewers Less Informed on Major News Stories[FONT=arial, sans-serif] Yep FOX News is the best damn new source out there! [/FONT]:lamo
[FONT=arial, sans-serif]Really comes at no [/FONT]surprise[FONT=arial, sans-serif] to me...[/FONT]

[FONT=arial, sans-serif]Thoughts?[/FONT]
[FONT=arial, sans-serif]Comments?[/FONT]
[FONT=arial, sans-serif]Response? [/FONT]
Click to expand...

This study was done at my school :mrgreen:
 
I am sure that there are some FOX viewers who simply like the way the network looks and their on-the-air personalities. I am also sure that there are FOX viewers who watch it for the ideological and partisan spin that you get which is obvious and at times rather blatant.

a statement like this from apdst

Anyone that watches FNC is just as informed as someone that watches CNN, or MSNBC.
Click to expand...

is screaming for documentation. And, if true (and that is one gigantic IF) I wonder what it is that the FOX viewer is informed about? Birtherism? The evils of government? Obama and his TelePrompTer? Libertarian talking points?
 
Fox viewers are informed about what Rupert Murdoch wants them to be told. It's his editorial policy across his empire.
 
apdst said:
Presenting an obviously biased study is pure partisan hackery. At least that's what we would hear from the Libbos, if someone bashed Chris Matthews and his leg travelling thrill.
Click to expand...

So you should be banned from posting pretty much anything right? :)
 
I used to watch foxnews exclusively....I originally watched CNN going back to pre first gulf war. I switched to Foxnews about 10 yrs ago...and I watched it progressively become more intensely partisan until its at the ridiculous point it is at now...Fox and Friends is utterly ridiculous. In all fairness MSNBC has also become more partisan...especially their evening shows...which I dont watch on any network.
I gave up fox and friends because I got tired of watching a carnival every morning and switched to morning joe...which is FAR more fairer and truthful in its reporting and discussions....they allow both sides to actually speak
 
apdst said:
Presenting an obviously biased study is pure partisan hackery. At least that's what we would hear from the Libbos, if someone bashed Chris Matthews and his leg travelling thrill.
Click to expand...

What's obviously biased about it, other than your opinion of the conclusion?

How do you feel about this part?

Fox News, however, wasn't the only cable news network to confuse some of its viewers. Watching MSNBC, for instance, was associated with a 10-point increase in the likelihood of misidentifying the Occupy Wall Street protesters as predominantly Republican.
Click to expand...
 
You have to assume the poll was conducted honestly and the results were honest. Theres lots of ways to get a poll to come out any way you desire. As a rule these little obscure polls are meant to advance an agenda and influence public opinion.
 
This goes back to an old saying, "If you don't read the newspaper you are uninformed, if you do read the newspaper you are misinformed." Sad to say it but due to the human nature there will always be political bias. Although, some will be more obvious than others.
 
haymarket said:
I am sure that there are some FOX viewers who simply like the way the network looks and their on-the-air personalities. I am also sure that there are FOX viewers who watch it for the ideological and partisan spin that you get which is obvious and at times rather blatant.
Click to expand...

I LOVE to watch Fox for the looks of their ‘on-the-air personalities’ as most of them are SMOKING HOT!!! Watchin babes is probably the reason no one pays attention to the substance, sex sells. But really, you’re right about the ideology and partisanship and this could be said for other cable networks. IMO, the only network that approaches ‘lean-less’ is C-Span.

is screaming for documentation. And, if true (and that is one gigantic IF) I wonder what it is that the FOX viewer is informed about? Birtherism? The evils of government? Obama and his TelePrompTer? Libertarian talking points?
Click to expand...

If you followed the link and read the original PDF study you would find that they pretty much ran all news sources down. The ones that faired best were the Sunday morning shows. And some of the questions really question the current knowledge level of all those polled:

Just 47% are able to identify the Occupy Wall Street protesters as predominantly Democratic: 11 % think they are Republicans. Viewers of cable news on MSNBC are the most likely to think the protestors are Republicans. Watching the left-leaning MSNBC news channel is associated with a 10-point increase in the likelihood of misidentifying the protesters.

The demographics of those polled are also interesting:
Party ID %
Dem. + lean Dem. 43
ind. + unsure + ref. 23
Rep. + lean Rep. 34
Some News Leaves People Knowing Less
 
lpast said:
I gave up fox and friends because I got tired of watching a carnival every morning and switched to morning joe...which is FAR more fairer and truthful in its reporting and discussions....they allow both sides to actually speak
Click to expand...

I never could get into fox and friends as it seems to me is pretty much a 'morning entertainment' show much like 'the today show'. Morning Joe is pretty good when they have decent guests and not the usual partisan hacks, from either side. I got into Washington Journal in C-Span three years ago and it has pretty much stuck. The moderators have VERY little obvious partisan slant and the guest are widely diverse although some segments are not of my interest. Give it a try some time.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom