The Media

No News is Good News

That is if your primary source of news is Fox News.

According to the latest results from Fairleigh Dickinson University’s PublicMind Poll, some news sources make us less likely to know what’s going on in the world. In the most recent study, the poll asked New Jerseyans about current events at home and abroad, and from what sources – if any – they get their information. The conclusion: 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 [] don’t watch any news at all. [...]

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). Fox News watchers are also 6-points less likely to know that Syrians have not yet overthrown their government than those who watch no news.

As much as I am bothered by people who pay no attention at all to current events, perhaps I should instead be thankful that they are not being force-fed by our corporate "liberal media."

And to be clear, while Fox News is the primary culprit, the report does not rule out the other networks for misinforming viewers.