[stampeder]

From a poll conducted by WorldPublicOpinion.org, based at the University of Maryland, and Knowledge Networks, we see the following statistics:

"Those who watched Fox News almost daily were significantly more likely than those who never watched it to believe that...

(snip long list of falsehoods)

The effect was also not simply a function of partisan bias, as people who voted Democratic and watched Fox News were also more likely to have such misinformation than those who did not watch it--though by a lesser margin than those who voted Republican."

...the poll found strong evidence that voters were substantially misinformed on many of the key issues of the campaign. Such misinformation was correlated with how people voted and their exposure to various news sources.

http://www.worldpublicopinion.org/pi...nadara/671.php

Interesting that the best that Fox News could do in the face of these revelations was to simply insult university-based research. Hmmm... Fox News research is good, but academic research, subject to peer review and verification is not? Oh well...

I guess this belongs in the "No kidding, Sherlock!" file. Before commenting, be sure to read the questions that were asked.

 

[JamesK]

Perhaps that's why some call it "Faux News".

 

[notsure]

Can't say that I'm really surprised by this.

No doubt they will dispute these results as some sort of conspiracy.

 

[01 Boxer]

Creating a climate of fear based on disinformation has always been good for ratings. Fox News just took it to another level.

 

[ScaryBob]

Perhaps that's why some call it "Faux News".

It could also be described as the anti-Obama, anti-Democratic Party channel. Many people tend to watch news stations that agree with their point of view, not necessarily to learn something. That has led to news stations, like FOX News, that promote opinions rather than hard facts. That also applies to many other dedicated "news" channels.

 

[hugh]

There is a significant difference between opinion and fact. Broadcasting an editorial position is one thing, spreading lies another.

 

[01 Boxer]

http://www.philly2philly.com/politics_community/politics_community_articles/2009/6/29/4854/fox_news_wins_lawsuit_misinform_public

In February 2003, Fox appealed the decision and an appellate court and had it overturned. Fox lawyers argued it was their first amendment right to report false information. In a six-page written decision, the Court of Appeals decided the FCC’s position against news distortion is only a “policy,” not a “law, rule, or regulation.”

I have no words...

 

[57]

Since they admit that they make stuff up, or report false information, they should not be allowed to call themselves a news station. They should be called "entertainment".

Of course all news is reported with some "slant" since all people will interpret events in a certain way. It's totally different to make false statements altogether, like we've seen many times on Faux in order to mislead, influence and "de-educate".

It'd be as if you watched Stephen Colbert (silent t) and thought it was true/real!

 

[hugh]

It'd be as if you watched Stephen Colbert (silent t) and thought it was true/real!

It isn't?

 

[DT1]

There business channel is even better. They had a countdown clock to the "Largest Tax Hike Ever" up on the screen for the past few weeks when it is not actually true. Fox just don't care and it appears to work for them.

 

[scampbell]

As a matter of interest, when was the largest tax increase ever? EDIT: I expect it would depend on how you define "largest". 0% to 55% on the estate tax seemed like a pretty large increase to me.

 

[hugh]

Please lets stick to the topic at hand and not derail the thread.

 

[CHrisCHu]

I thought it's been quite well established that FOX news is not news? Are they really just anti-Obama or are they plain left wing?

 

[987654321]

Perhaps that's why some call it "Faux News"

or "Faux Views"

 

[sadchel]

this 'study' is largely using the CBO for its facts..................oh the irony is delicious

 

[stampeder]

Since Fox News was only just one of the news sources tested, the study (no need for quotes on that word, btw) works by taking the data from the CBO and comparing what is reported by each to determine to what extent the info is being interpreted with fidelity.

sadchel, what we see confirmed is that Fox News has a demonstrable bias in its interpretation of the CBO data, and it would seem that it dovetails with your own opinion of the CBO, which raises chicken-and-egg issues since we do not know whether you studied the CBO data on your own prior to watching Fox News or whether your opinions of it have been filtered beforehand through Fox News.

That's not a slam against you; it points out why a study like this has strong resonance with people who are quite suspect of Fox News. It is not a test of the CBO's data, but rather of how the news sources accurately report that data.

 

[sadchel]

if you care to look into it. The Pew Media Study did a study on the 2008 election and found Fox News to have the most balanced and fair coverage of the cable news networks. But against MSNBC, that is not a hard victory.

As for the CBO...really? They based their correct answers on the stimulus upon the Obama administation's claim that the stimulus saved millions of jobs. How exactly can one quantify a saved job?
As for the CBO's views on Obamacare. They actually claimed that bill would not add to the deficit. But to be fair, they can only score the bill that was presented to them. BUT they, and everybody else knew it was bogus because it did not include the "doctors fix' and relied upon the promise to cut 500b from medicare.........which did not happen.


Bottom line....in some of these questions it was not the viewers of Fox or any other news station that were incorrent, instead it was this study's reliance on CBO disingenuousness.

 

[stampeder]

Again, the issue of how you feel about the CBO is a chicken-and-egg problem: did you have those opinions before Fox News or after? I think you've missed my point that the payload is not the issue, the fidelity to the payload at the consumer's end is the issue.

 

[01 Boxer]

They could have used The Daily Show as a source. Fox News' contradictions and blatant lies have supplied them with comedy materials for years.

 

[scampbell]

Again, the issue of how you feel about the CBO is a chicken-and-egg problem: did you have those opinions before Fox News or after?

So people that don't watch Fox News are misinformed as to the usefulness of the CBO statements, and assume that if the CBO says something that they speak for "most economists".

The CBO had to assume that the law would be properly implemented, which may or may not be the case now.

Do "most scientists agree that climate change is occurring"? Are we including scientists of every discipline such as veterinary science or nutritional science? If the world warms one decade and cools another, does that count as climate change? Or simply climate variation.

They also claim that people who said their income taxes didn't go down are wrong because payroll taxes (not income taxes) were reduced.

This whole survey/report seems very sloppy to me -- the apparent conclusion is the Fox News viewers don't adhere to Democratic talking points very well.