Poll shows people who watch no news at all know more about current events than those

[jobeterob]

Poll shows people who watch no news at all know more about current events than those who watch the right-wing Fox News channel. [[Image: Getty)

Fox News viewers know less than people who avoid news

24/11/2011 8:30:00 AM

by Nevil Hunt
An American university's poll shows people who say they watch no news at all know more about current events than those who watch the right-wing Fox News channel. Is this the right room for an argument?


A university in New Jersey carried out a simple poll recently. They asked respondents where they get their news, and then asked them some questions about current events. The results are startling.

The Fairleigh Dickinson University poll showed people who watch Fox News are less informed than those who say they don't watch any news at all.

Before dissecting the reasons for that result, it's worth looking at the news sources that did improve consumers' knowledge.

The Sunday morning talk shows on the major U.S. networks – such as Meet the Press – draw the most informed audience, but it's tough to measure cause and effect. Anyone willing to tune in to that type of current events programming is likely well informed to begin with and has a passion for politics and other hard news.

People who listen to non-profit National Public Radio – a format similar to CBC Radio One here in Canada – scored well in the poll. Readers of nationally distributed newspapers such as the New York Times knew their stuff too.

News sources that were less effective at informing the public were at the political extremes.

Fox News leans hard right, and MSNBC leans left. Viewers of both networks showed less than stellar understanding of events, but it was Fox viewers who fared worst of all.

A political science professor at Fairleigh Dickinson offered an explanation. Daniel Cassino reported that ideological media fails to inform because, "they don't challenge people's assumptions."

In effect, a Fox News viewer already has their mind made up before the facts are presented.

"People who tune into ideological media are motivated to hear their side of the debate," Cassino added.

Without pausing to consider other points of view, the news consumer is in danger of hearing only what he or she wants to hear. And much like the hosts on Fox News, the network's viewers sure don't want to hear anything they don't agree with.

Critical thinking and thoughtful debate do not fill the Fox News studios. Debates turn into shouting matches, with the loudest person commandeering the conversation and "winning" the argument. Sound bites rule the day. Reasoned discussion and respect for the opposing viewpoint is for wimps. And changing your mind, well, that's flip-flopping.

Cassino said the opposite of hit-and-run shouting contests can be seen on the Sunday morning news programs, where a single issue may be discussed at length.

"Viewers pick up more information from this sort of calm discussion," he said.

While talk radio is rarely described as "calm," the researchers did find that talk radio listeners did fairly well in the poll. Cassino chalks that up to the time talk radio spends on an issue and the depth of the discussions.

In the end, the results of the poll don't simply point the finger at right-wing nuts or their news sources. The results say an audience learns less if members aren't challenged by what they read, hear or watch.

Do you learn more by listening to people you agree with or people you disagree with? Should children spend more time studying critical thinking and debating?

[bankhousedave]

You should never believe anything you hear, especially from the news media. They are all paid for by interest groups and use psycho-ologists to tell them made up crap about attention spans and short paragraphs. With news 24, you don't even need to swiitch your own critical faculties off because you are hypmnotised by the rolling dullness and fatuosity of it. Television inherited from film two main talents - giving the impression that something that didn't happen did, and that something that did happen didn't. Kids should be taught never to accept authority and figure things out for themselves. It would put a lot of colleges out of business, explode the 'science' fraud and bring down governments. It might even have some bad effects too, but it would be worth it for the future of mankind.

[jobeterob]

Especially when it's from Fox, right?!

[smark21]

All in all, cable news is just worthless.

[stephanie]

Cable news is not worthless if ALL you want to hear is opinion. For facts go to CSPAN, or your newspaper. Fox is the last place I would go to for political news but they are great when it comes to Local and General news.

[soulster]

I disagree. Cable news isn't wrothless if you're talking about MSNBC. Do they have a bias? Sure! But, they are biased in favor of the American people.

I saw that study the other day and it cracked me up, and is very true! Gee, I wonder what all those Faux-lovin' viewers will say about this study done by a private school?

[jobeterob]

Um.......maybe they should say: "I knew we were a bunch of dumb asses" and then get their fat butts into the car and go to WalMart, stopping at MacDonalds to pig out on fat food.