There’s a new study you should read — or at least read the summary if you don’t have time to take on the whole thing. You’ll be surprised by what it tells you about American voters. Or, sadly, you may not be surprised at all. World Public Opinion, a project of the Program on International Policy Attitudes at the University of Maryland, surveyed a representative sample of American voters, and found, among other things, that American voters — Republican, Democrat and independent — were “substantially misinformed” (what you and I call “ignorant”) about many issues.
Fifty-seven percent of those who voted Democratic, for instance, were inclined to believe it was a proven fact that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce spent oodles of foreign money to help GOP candidates; and 51 percent of them thought Obama had not increased the number of troops in Afghanistan.
Republican voters, on the other hand, overwhelmingly (73 percent) thought that most economists have concluded that the health care reform law will increase the deficit; 67 percent thought the stimulus legislation did not include any tax cuts; and 62 percent believed that most scientists do not agree that climate change is occurring. If you find yourself agreeing with any of the above beliefs, whether held mostly by the Dems or the GOP, please do read the report. You may also want to stretch out a bit in terms of where you get your news.
Generally speaking, the survey found that voters who had more exposure to news sources were more informed, which one would expect. However, and let’s quote the report directly here: “There were, however, a number of cases where greater exposure to a particular news source increased misinformation on some issues” (our emphasis). No need to even guess which “news source” they’re talking about: it’s Fox News. Even worse news for Fox News watchers: Apparently, the more you watch it, the more misinformed you’ll be. Now, anyone who has tried to reason with a Fox News fan — or, say, has been trapped in a checkout line in front of a couple of Fox indoctrinees — can vouch for the survey’s conclusion about the “fairly imbalanced” network. The World Public Opinion survey, though, gets specific, tallying up the percentages by which Fox News viewers out-ignorant (our term) other voters. Just a couple of examples: Among those who watch Fox News nearly every day, 60 percent believe that most scientists either think climate change isn’t occurring or are evenly divided on the subject; and 56 percent think the GM bailout only happened on Obama’s watch (and was not initiated under Bush).
Recently, MediaMatters revealed that Fox’s D.C. managing editor told the network’s announcers to use specific terms when describing health care reform in order to create a more negative impression of the legislation. Today, revelations are out that the Fox D.C. news bureau chief directly told his staff to cast doubt on climate change. Those revelations, as well as numerous others that came before, make it very clear that the distortions and “misinformation” (or as your mom would’ve called it, “lies”) by Fox News are deliberate and nearly constant. The sad irony in all this, of course — and if you’re one who has tried to discuss issues with a Fox Fanatic, you already know this — is that those for whom Fox is their regular source of news often actually think of themselves as being really well-informed. If Fox News’ influence wasn’t so dangerous (as in “clear and present danger”), it might be kind of funny. But it is dangerous, so it isn’t funny. OK, it’s kinda funny, but still …
This article appears in Dec 14-20, 2010.
Conservitards spoonfed misinformation so they can regurgitate it on command?
No, surely not.
Well, it appears that Wes only watches MSNBC and is uninformed as well.
John,
How recent is this study? The only one I found related is dated 10/3/03. I’m not a great Fox News fan, but hey, let’s get current. There was no reference to a recent study to which you refer on the PIPA website.
Ron
If you are watching only one news source as your ONLY go-to place for your news then you are ignorant. All mainstream media outlets have their own agenda, whether it’s the neo-cons on Fox or the socialists on MSNBC. The problem has become the fact that no one just reports the facts these days, every reporter has to put their own spin and bias on it.
Ron: Click on the link in the first sentence and you’ll see how you can download the new report — which was published December 10, 2010.
Reading, listening, speaking to only one side is a sign of laziness, ignorance and a narrow-minded parochialism which no longer bothers to search for truth. Rather it glibly assumes it knows the truth….This holds true for FOX adherents as well as those who only listen to liberal stations as well.
You’ll find the study here: http://www.worldpublicopinion.org/pipa/articles/brunitedstatescanadara/671.php?nid=&id=&pnt=671&lb
dated December 10, 2010.
Usually, I do not believe every thing in print or on tv, but hey FOX news is by far the best, IMO. In the past I was partial to CNN, but hey some of their anchors are now on FOX.
No bias here…nope…move along. I happen to watch all of the major networks and make my opinions only after being opened to all sides. And other networks are as equally as biased and misinforming as Fox. All depends on the agenda being pushed. What is your agenda? Your opinion on Fox before this survey is slanting your reporting of it.
It’s not pure “reporting,” Gary, it’s a blog post, which is inherently from a specific point of view. Yes, I have a very low opinion (if I only had time. . . .) of Fox News, but that doesn’t change the fact that the study did a thorough job of interviewing consumers of various news outlets and found that Fox News listeners are, indeed, the most misinformed — whether other news organizations are biased or not is irrelevant for the sake of my post, which was simply about a study which showed. . .oh, to hell with it. Why do I bother? I’m becoming convinced that hanging around websites in order to “comment” (usually “rant”) does something to people’s ability to think straight.
Betcha that someone thought this was a revelation. I don’t watch Focks, knew all along what they were doing by the blurbs from their “network,” which show up elsewhere, have dealt with those who do watch, and have had the same horrible to-and-fro with them that you describe. It is almost as if they are brainwashed, which leads me to wonder if I am, as well. However, I get my news from a variety of sources, including the Sunday network talk shows, C-Span, local and national PBS programs, and ever more often a shot of fresh air from across the pond or our northern border. Sometimes I listen to or read what those on the other side of the aisle think, just to make certain that my balance is correct. Keep on keeping on the good work. Unfortunately, those who should be reading your offering won’t! And it won’t be long before they are screaming bloody murder over what the new Congress is going to do to us. Maybe on day two of the new year they will wise up; no one has ever acknowledged voting for bush the Tush either. HHK
People that watch Fox know the difference between the tax credit that was in the stimulus bill and a tax rate cut. They know that federal bureaucrats are incapable of running anything without running a deficit. They know that the climate change “science” is far from settled. And they also know that trying to explain all that to some idiot that sites an article from media matters as proof that Fox skewed the news would be ignorant indeed.
How interesting that you reference Media Matters – a front group for liberal causes as the basis for your conclusions. I guess that makes you the “Pot”. If you guys would spend half the time pursuing your causes as you do attacking FOX, perhaps you would be more successful in hoodwinking Americans and the rest of the world. I for one will enjoy my ignorant bliss forever rather than let the self declared “intelligent” and “informed” decide my future for me. The world is full of horrible examples of that.
I think much of FOX’s attention is garnered by those who can see past its psychosis-inducing spiel. The reason that it appears so popular is that its audience tends to be very vocal. Otherwise, the idea that FOX viewers are misinformed is neither new, nor surprising, as true as it may be.
FOX crosses the line between ‘bias’ and ‘propaganda’ on many occasions. From ‘accidentally’ switching a disgraced GOP member as (D) to switching video footage to make rallies look more popular than they really are, creating sensationalist headlines and using selective editing in their reports, it’s no surprise that anyone who watches FOX will have a botched view of the world. (That is, if they use FOX as their sole source of information. It has been stated above, and rightly so, that this shouldn’t be the case no matter the media outlet.) Where other media groups may simply have biased reporting, FOX does its best to actually recreate the news and history.
Oh well. In most cases, when these reports surface, it’s like preaching to the choir. Most people who see the reports are already aware, and others will just attribute it to more biased reporting. (After all, if you disagree with me, you must be biased against me.) We can hope though, can’t we?
The writer on this piece of garbage must have oded on Fox News cause his head is surely up his a—–
I only watch Fox for the chicks.
This load of crap “study” was obviously done by the ultra-biased liberal news outlets like MSNBC who keep seeing their ratings decline because no one wants to see any more bias which they once had no choice about. Watching those liars can’t make you more stupid though because you already are. You’ve reached short school bus level and constant Fox News is your only hope.
i like to say that i am very happy to see this post cuz i was w8ing for this type of post…
great work Nice