natina
05-30-2011, 09:45 PM
Fox News Viewers Believe the Darndest Things, Study Finds
(Dec. 17) -- Fair and balanced ... and factually incorrect?
A newly released study out of the University of Maryland concludes that viewers of the Fox News Channel were "significantly more likely" to believe a host of factually incorrect information than viewers who watched other television news organizations.
Fox is by no means the only media outlet guilty of spreading what the study considers misniformation, but the channel's viewers were found to believe incorrect views on matters of established fact in much higher percentages than those peple who got their news of the world elsewhere.
Those who watched Fox News during the 2010 election cycle were significantly more likely than those who never watched it to believe that ...
... most economists estimate the stimulus caused job losses (12 points more likely).
... most economists have estimated the health care law will worsen the deficit (31 points more likely).
... the economy is getting worse (26 points more likely).
... most scientists do not agree that climate change is occurring (30 points more likely).
... the stimulus legislation did not include any tax cuts (14 points more likely).
... their own income taxes have gone up (14 points).
... the auto bailout only occurred under Obama (13 points).
... when TARP came up for a vote, most Republicans opposed it (12 points).
... it is not clear that Obama was born in the United States (31 points).
The study found that it wasn't just Republican Fox viewers who were swayed to believe the less-than-accurate information. Democratic viewers of the channel also more likely to believe those things, too.
Surge Desk's calls to the Fox News Channel for comment on the study were not returned.
http://www.aolnews.com/2010/12/17/fox-news-viewers-believe-the-darndest-things-study-finds/
(Dec. 17) -- Fair and balanced ... and factually incorrect?
A newly released study out of the University of Maryland concludes that viewers of the Fox News Channel were "significantly more likely" to believe a host of factually incorrect information than viewers who watched other television news organizations.
Fox is by no means the only media outlet guilty of spreading what the study considers misniformation, but the channel's viewers were found to believe incorrect views on matters of established fact in much higher percentages than those peple who got their news of the world elsewhere.
Those who watched Fox News during the 2010 election cycle were significantly more likely than those who never watched it to believe that ...
... most economists estimate the stimulus caused job losses (12 points more likely).
... most economists have estimated the health care law will worsen the deficit (31 points more likely).
... the economy is getting worse (26 points more likely).
... most scientists do not agree that climate change is occurring (30 points more likely).
... the stimulus legislation did not include any tax cuts (14 points more likely).
... their own income taxes have gone up (14 points).
... the auto bailout only occurred under Obama (13 points).
... when TARP came up for a vote, most Republicans opposed it (12 points).
... it is not clear that Obama was born in the United States (31 points).
The study found that it wasn't just Republican Fox viewers who were swayed to believe the less-than-accurate information. Democratic viewers of the channel also more likely to believe those things, too.
Surge Desk's calls to the Fox News Channel for comment on the study were not returned.
http://www.aolnews.com/2010/12/17/fox-news-viewers-believe-the-darndest-things-study-finds/