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Ton Loc
11/22/2011, 03:09 PM
I knew it! Watching the "news" is for suckers. Now I have the added benefit of knowing it makes me smarter. :topsy_turvy:

A new survey of New Jersey voters comes to a provocative conclusion: Fox News viewers tend to be less informed about current events than those who don't watch any news at all. (http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-fox-news-poll-20111121,0,3985116.story)


A new survey of New Jersey voters comes to a provocative conclusion: Fox News viewers tend to be less informed about current events than those who don't watch any news at all.

Fairleigh Dickinson University recently questioned 612 adults in New Jersey about how they get their news, offering as options traditional outlets like newspapers and local and national television news, or blogs, websites and even Comedy Central's "The Daily Show."

They then asked a series of factual questions about the major events of the last year, from the "Arab Spring" to the Republican race for president.

For example, respondents were first asked whether, to the best of their knowledge, opposition groups in Egypt had been successful in bringing down the Mubarak regime.

Among NPR listeners, 68% correctly said they had been; only 49% of Fox News viewers answered correctly. In fact, the survey found, Fox viewers were 18 percentage points less likely to answer correctly than those who watched no news at all.

"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," said Dan Cassino, a political science professor at Fairleigh Dickinson.

Those who watched Sunday public affairs shows tended to be the best informed on current events, the survey found. Readers of national newspapers also were more likely to respond correctly.

And it seems Jon Stewart may be more reliable than cable news anchors. On Occupy Wall Street, the survey found viewers of "The Daily Show" were 12 percentage points more likely to say protesters were predominantly Democratic. MSNBC viewers were the most likely to say the protesters were mainly Republicans.

"Jon Stewart has not spent a lot of time on some of these issues. But the results show that when he does talk about something, his viewers pick up a lot more information than they would from other sources," Cassino said.

The overall survey, conducted from Oct. 17 to 23, had a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points. Because of the smaller sample size among those who selected a specific news source, the margin of error would be much higher.

pphilfran
11/22/2011, 03:25 PM
Among NPR listeners, 68% correctly said they had been; only 49% of Fox News viewers answered correctly. In fact, the survey found, Fox viewers were 18 percentage points less likely to answer correctly than those who watched no news at all.

So...watching NPR is 1% ahead of the non watchers...68-67....

KantoSooner
11/22/2011, 03:31 PM
It might almost seem that reading a damn newspaper is better than getting your news read to you, 33 seconds at a time, between episodic blandishments from couch salesmen.

49r
11/22/2011, 03:33 PM
When was the last time anyone watched NPR?

Zin
11/22/2011, 03:42 PM
I watch Fox news for the titties.

pphilfran
11/22/2011, 03:43 PM
I watch Fox news for the titties.

And even those are fabrications...

Midtowner
11/22/2011, 03:52 PM
^ Well played.

Zin
11/22/2011, 04:03 PM
And even those are fabrications...

lol, good one!

Sooner5030
11/22/2011, 04:42 PM
that's ok....if you ask NPR/CNN/MSNBC folks they would tell you that TARP ended up being paid back and the gubment received a profit.

even though sigtarp.gov states otherwise.

Their news story was factual because one small slice of TARP made a profit.

Plus I doubt FOX viewers are there to be informed about the middle east.

KantoSooner
11/22/2011, 04:43 PM
When was the last time anyone watched NPR?

45 minutes after I found that little square of blotter paper in my old Pink Floyd album and decided, 'what the hell?' and ate it.

Who knew that Diane Rheem was a stone hottie?

diverdog
11/22/2011, 06:14 PM
that's ok....if you ask NPR/CNN/MSNBC folks they would tell you that TARP ended up being paid back and the gubment received a profit.

even though sigtarp.gov states otherwise.

Their news story was factual because one small slice of TARP made a profit.

Plus I doubt FOX viewers are there to be informed about the middle east.

Only the big banks have paid back TARP. Many have not including the bank I work for right now.

dwarthog
11/22/2011, 06:33 PM
And even those are fabrications...

That doesn't make them bad...

soonercruiser
11/22/2011, 09:35 PM
How about a "SOURCE" listed for the "survey"?
Is that asking too much?
There are lies, da** lies, and then statistics.

cleller
11/23/2011, 08:57 AM
People only SAY they watch Fox news because they don't want to be branded hemophiliac liberals.

Ton Loc
11/23/2011, 09:19 AM
How about a "SOURCE" listed for the "survey"?
Is that asking too much?
There are lies, da** lies, and then statistics.

I think your quotation and caps lock keys are broken.

"CLICK HERE" (http://publicmind.fdu.edu/2011/knowless/)

Dale Ellis
11/23/2011, 01:47 PM
And even those are fabrications...

I watch it for the hot chicks

soonercruiser
11/23/2011, 06:00 PM
I think your quotation and caps lock keys are broken.

"CLICK HERE" (http://publicmind.fdu.edu/2011/knowless/)

Did you notice....?
Your link was ALL CAPS!!!
The Public Mind...Fairleigh Dickinsin????
Most of their polls have been local Jersey issues. They should stick to that.
And, they still have Mike Huckaphoney leading the Republican candidates!!!????

TitoMorelli
11/23/2011, 09:59 PM
I watch it for the hot chicks

Then don't dare watch it after 9 pm CDT.

SoonerNate
11/24/2011, 12:47 AM
This is absurd. The folks that watch Fox News are the ones with the jobs. They have to work all day so they can pay taxes to fund all the democrat welfare **** heads.

bigfatjerk
11/24/2011, 07:46 AM
There's only certain programs on the major news networks that I watch. I don't really watch one network much more than the other. The only one I watch a lot less is MSNBC. But that's only because MSNBC only has the progressive side of things.

soonercoop1
11/24/2011, 08:58 AM
Interesting poll...looks like 66% were Dems or liberal/progressives, 34% were Repubs or lean which means liberal Repub or RINO to me in NJ. Would be curious to see how many stories/time spent were on each subject per group. I can certainly see what the intent of the survey was based on the questions.

Ton Loc
11/24/2011, 02:10 PM
Did you notice....?
Your link was ALL CAPS!!!


You missed the point.