Community | November 21, 2011 | 37 comments

Survey: People Who Watch No News Know More Than Fox Viewers

source: http://mediamatters.org/blog/201111210012?frontpage

When pollsters and academics single out Fox News viewers and try to determine what they know, or don't know, as compared to other media consumers, the results tend to be embarrassing. (See here, here, here, here, and here.) Then again, that's what happens when a national cable news channel with vast resources devotes itself to misinformation.....it misinforms people.

A new report from Fairleigh Dickinson University's PublicMind Poll continues the awkward Fox News trend, and adds a new twist -- Fox News viewers are less informed than people who don't watch any television news.

From PublicMind Poll, which surveyed adults in New Jersey:

"Sunday morning news shows do the most to help people learn about current events, while some outlets, especially Fox News, lead people to be even less informed than those who they don't watch any news at all."

Here's an example of how consumers who don't turn to TV news at all are more informed than consumers who regularly tune into Fox [emphasis added]:

"But the real finding is that the results depend on what media sources people turn to for their news. For example, people who watch Fox News, the most popular of the 24-hour cable news networks, are 18-points less likely to know that Egyptians overthrew their government than those who watch no news at all (after controlling for other news sources, partisanship, education and other demographic factors)."

Fairleigh Dickinson political science professor Dan Cassino stresses that because of the survey controls that were implemented, it's not true that Republicans in general were uninformed about current events. But rather it was specifically Fox viewers who scored poorly. "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," he said.

The good news for Roger Ailes? Fox's misinformation is definitely working. The bad news? With survey results like this, Fox becomes the butt of more jokes.
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37 comments // Survey: People Who Watch No News Know More Than Fox Viewers

  • ReMarker
  • cantucwearebrothers
    • 0
      cantucwearebrothers  

    • People who aren't watching the news are more apt to be reading about the news. Readers are more likely to find information from multiple sources and form their own opinions.

    • 6 months ago
  • essejamica
  • ilikeike
  • FesterBestertester
  • chew_chew
  • Paratus
    • -10
      Paratus  

    • Just using the example given regarding the overthrow of Mubarak, Fox gave this a lot of airtime both during the revolution and after. I don' t know who was polled or the questions but...... anyhow, this is from MediaMatters so the veracity of the reporting is suspect on its face.

    • 6 months ago
  • WakeUpPeople
    • +7
      WakeUpPeople  
    • Paratus:

      Thank you Paratus for proving a point. You just proved that even a seemingly informed person can completely misunderstand information that is presented to them. (You also just admitted that you are a Fox watcher, so you are giving this study even further credence)

      From the article you just read and should have comprehended...

      "A new report from Fairleigh Dickinson University's PublicMind Poll..." ((Not Media Matters))

      "...(after controlling for other news sources, partisanship, education and other demographic factors)." ((Filtered polling to insure a qualified, side-by-side comparison, so it does not matter who was polled))

      Your comment is proof that you can be given information, but because of your prejudices, you refuse to internalize it. Instead you jumped to discrediting without any substance to your argument, and you don't bother to find the answers to your own questions which were at the link provided. I will help you though. With the slightest effort I was able to find the link with the methods, questions, and data of the polling. http://publicmind.fdu.edu/2011/knowless/

    • 6 months ago
  • Leen61
  • lazloman
    • +1
      lazloman  
    • Paratus:

      I think the point of the report is not what news they cover. Its how they cover news. If they spent a lot of time covering Egypt, but their viewers don't know the most basic issue surrounding the uprising, one has to ask, what did they get out of Faux News reporting?
      Let me guess:
      Muslim radicals are taking over the Middle East

    • 6 months ago
  • ReMarker
  • JustZ
  • ilikeike
  • ilikeike
  • Saladin
    • +5
      Saladin  

    • The real question is, is it correlation or causation?

      Does watching FOX News make you dumb, or is it just dumb people that watch it?

    • 6 months ago
  • Argon18
    • +1
      Argon18  
    • Saladin:

      It's probably a matter of degree, since they are worse than those that watch none at all. As the article points out "that's what happens when a national cable news channel with vast resources devotes itself to misinformation.....it misinforms people."

      So doesn't that suggest causation since those that are dumb stay at the same level by not watching while even those that start out dumb get even more so on Fox?

    • 6 months ago
  • lazloman
  • Varex_Sythe
    • 0
      Varex_Sythe  
    • Saladin:

      I think that people of a certain mental quality tend to watch FOX News, and that those people tend to have their mental quality degraded by watching FOX News.

      Or to put it another way... why can't both be true?

    • 6 months ago
  • Leen61
    • +5
      Leen61  

    • This is a perfect example that shows that misinformation drilled into people's heads have a more lasting negative impact than receiving no news at all. That is the definition of propaganda.

    • 6 months ago
  • EmperorThan
  • Argon18
    • +7
      Argon18  

    • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdOutBf2Jq0

      For those that haven't bothered to gather information or those that have been consistently misinformed it's better to get it from people that have had first hand experience like Jesse LaGreca who has some tips on getting ideas across.

      http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/11/21/1038117/-Some-easy-debate-tips-about-Oc...

      I thought this would help us keep the conversation about Occupy Wall Street from veering off into nonsense when we have to discuss it in the media. These are also useful when you are talking with your friends and family, whether it is on facebook or in the real world, or just at your thanksgiving dinner table. If someone makes the following statements, here are my suggested responses.

      Statement: "Why doesn't Occupy Wall Street have a clear message?"
      Answer: "We do, but the people telling you that we don't do not want to honestly discuss cleaning up Wall Street and Washington D.C., let me tell you more . . ."

      Simple and short, OWS has a clear message about reforming Big Business and Government. Remind people that OWS DOES have a clear message, but some people simply do not want us to have this honest conversation about our future so they distract with side issues. Tell people that OWS DOES have a clear message, and then tell them what OWS means to you.

      Statement: "Occupy Wall Street protesters should get a job"
      Answer: "We would love to as soon as Republicans stop filibustering job bills so they can blame President Obama on the bad economy George W. Bush left him. We Occupy for Accountability. Why are you afraid to talk about corporate accountability?"

      Frankly, I have ZERO patience for Republicans who scream "GET A JOB!" while Republican politicians do everything they can to filibuster and block job bills and stimulus bills. Remind Republicans that they helped create this mess and shift the conversation back to OWS in a positive way by discussing accountability for corporate politicians and corrupt big business.

      NOTE: Occupy Wall Street is NOT about Democrats or Republicans, it is about ALL of us. Republican voters are hurting too, we are here to help them as well."

    • 6 months ago
  • JamesS12
    • +1
      JamesS12  

    • I would say that is generally true. True for all the media whether it be MSNBC, CNN, or Fox. They appeal to the lowest informed, most impulsive among us with their knee-jerk headlines and misleading representation of reality.

      I can't watch the cable news anymore without the urge to vomit uncontrollably.

    • 6 months ago
  • nikonwilly
  • bailey78
    • +4
      bailey78  

    • Look some folks like to think for them selves others like to be told what to think. Then you have faux news watchers that just don't think at all.

    • 6 months ago
  • kennymotown
  • RevKen
    • +8
      RevKen  

    • It is astonishing when I debate a FOX News viewer. They are so unknowing of basic facts of every story that it is almost funny, if it were not so sad.

      It is also amazing to me that FOX News viewers always repeat the GOP talking points verbatim. The only explanation I can come up with is that they are too lazy to think about current events.

    • 6 months ago
  • bailey78
  • RevKen
  • Argon18
    • +5
      Argon18  
    • RevKen:

      Maybe some facts to debate with would help, even if they aren't willing to listen it does some good to counter the lies to keep them from spreading.

      "The reality is, corrupt politicians and pundits are TERRIFIED of having a conversation about income inequality, lobbyists or anything else when the conversation is based on FACTS, they can NOT win that debate, so they would rather change the subject to anything else. DO NOT LET THEM! Don't let them change the subject, just keep going back to the MAIN issue, that the rich are richer than ever while at the same time the other 99% of us are being asked to sacrifice and suffer, that the lobbyists for big business would rather bribe our politicians than pay their fair taxes, and that the same politicians and pundits who are bad-mouthing Occupy Wall Street are fighting to defend corruption, and they will lie and say anything to protect their corporate gravy train. Then go back to talking about the good things you have seen and heard about Occupy Wall Street. Talk about our library. Talk about our love and compassion for one another. Talk about Jesus stuff, like healing the sick and feeding the poor. Don't get sucked into conversations about violence or the police. Stay positive, and talk about the good things you have seen in Occupy Wall Street and why everyone who isn't a multi-millionaire should support Occupy Wall Street.

      The reality is that the corrupt politicians and pundits out there who are bad mouthing Occupy Wall Street are a lot like the one person at your Thanksgiving dinner who you know is going to make things uncomfortable, the person who is going to say something awful or embarrassing, that guy. What is good for the goose is good for the gander. We should try to be respectful, but we should also be determined to not let petty side issues derail this honest conversation we want to have."

    • 6 months ago
  • alexandrek
  • bailey78
  • RevKen
    • +2
      RevKen  
    • alexandrek:

      I was trying to be polite. The answer is no. One cannot really debate a person that is incapable of using logic and backing their statements with actual facts.

      When they know they are losing the argument they begin with attacks on where I get my information and then they attack me personally.

    • 6 months ago
  • RevKen
    • +2
      RevKen  
    • Argon18:

      The most common GOP tactic is to argue a different argument. They know they loose every debate on facts so they forget about logic and start to argue a different argument.

      I want to rip my hair out half the time because I know what is coming. They are so predictable, I know what their response will be as I am writing my post and without fail they do not disappoint.

      I do not care if someone has a different opinion from mine, if it is theirs. If their opinion is simply a regurgitated talking point from their favorite political pundit then I know they are too lazy to think about things for themselves.

    • 6 months ago
  • RevKen
  • Argon18
    • +4
      Argon18  
    • RevKen:

      Well if iy is important to you to challenge the lies and strawman arguments they try to use to distract from the subject, then you can try to follow Jesse LaGreca's advice

      "Statement: "Occupy Wall Street protesters are dirty and need a bath."
      Answer : "Don't change the subject, we are talking about reforming the banks and our government. We need to clean up Wall Street and Washington DC. That is more important than what you are talking about."

      Remember that it is important NOT to let a conversation about OccupyWallStreet become a discussion of petty side issues. Immediately shift away from side issues and get back to the BIG issues of bank accountability and the corporate lobbyist influence over our democracy.

      Statement: "Occupy Wall Street protesters are (insert distracting Right Wing talking point about socialism/anarchy/personal insults here)"
      Answer: "Don't change the subject. Conservatives who hated Martin Luther King Jr used to say the same thing about him."

      Make sure to dismiss insulting talking points as fast as you can so you can get back on message about the good things OccupyWallStreet is working to achieve. Then tell your story about the good things and good people you have seen at OWS."

      I've had enough experience myself with people being so "predictable, I know what their response will be as I am writing my post and without fail they do not disappoint." and it is very doubtful they ever read what they disagree with because as it has been wisely said

      "There are none so blind as those who will not see. The most deluded people are those who choose to ignore what they already know." ...Jonathan Swift 1738

      So in all likelyhood whatever you say will have aa much effect as "a fart in a hurricane" but it is still "better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness" so that at least an effort is made for a positive outcome.

    • 6 months ago
  • RevKen
    • +1
      RevKen  
    • Argon18:

      In fact I do follow Ms. LeGreca's advice and until now I didn't even know her name.

      You are correct about how conservatives never read a post they disagree with. They read enough to know they do not like something and then they start their attack. It is obvious as their posts do not address what was written in the original post.

      I continue to try to debate them, not because I think I will change their mind, but because I want others who might be more reasonable to read it. When they become insulting that is when I know I have won. Only people that have no intelligent response feel the need to insult the other person.

    • 6 months ago
  • lazloman
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