SURVEY: Daily Show/Colbert Viewers Most Knowledgable, Fox News Viewers Rank Lowest

[DenverDem]

"
A new study by the Pew Research Study shows that viewers of the Daily Show and the Colbert Report have the highest knowledge of national and international affairs, while Fox News viewers rank nearly dead last"

http://thinkprogress.org/2007/04/16/daily-show-fox-knowledge/


Interesting!

"Study shows Fox News viewers misinformed about war, Iraq, WMD

“The extent of Americans’ misperceptions vary significantly depending on their source of news. Those who receive most of their news from Fox News are more likely than average to have misperceptions."

http://www.worldpublicopinion.org/pipa/articles/international_security_bt/102.php?nid=

[MercedesV]

Interesting, but really not surprising. Fox lies, and many believe the lies are truth. I think people who access a variety of sources tend to be better informed over all.

Look at the nonsense lies about ACORN in the stimulus bill and the mice. And some will spread them from here on out no matter how often they are debunked and shown as lies.

There has been talk about bringing back the Fairness Doctrine. I'd like to see everyone in the media tell the truth, factually. Opinions and biases will differ and everyone is entitled to their opinion. But everyone isn't entitled to their own facts.

News is suppose to inform, educate, enlighten, investigate. These days it is too often a form of entertainment and truth loses out to ratings and cheap gotcha moments.

[MagicGarden]

I won't bother to show the categories but comparing Daily Show to O'Reilly:

Daily Show 54% 50 44 52 59
O'Reilly 51% 43 44 53 64

Based on these numbers, I'd say Jon & Bill are equally "informative."
JMO

[interested]

Ummm, sorry but things like:

Were WMD found in Iraq?

&

Was Iraq involved in the 911 attack?

Are not opinions or "Democrat views", the answers are facts. Problem is, the FOX viewers don't know the correct answer. That's the entire point.

[watcher2005]

I wonder what the results were from people who can find the off button.

[interested]

This whole thread is a thinly veiled attempt to insult all the Repubs on this board and basically call them stupid. It should be deleted as some much less demeaning threads have been. To smear Fox, though they never reported the things you mentioned, and all the viewers is typical of the left's desperate attempts to shut them down. I am guessing this was started by one of the Dems who are talking about bringing back the fairness doctrine along with Pelosi, Harkin and Bill Clinton. They want it back and I would guess some other Dems will jump on board so with the help of folks like you, they will spread the word that certain media must be shut down. It's beyond socialism. It's communism.


Well you know what they say about folks that assume.

It's fairly well known I'm a registered Independent, so that pretty much shoots your entire assumption all to heck and shows your opening sentence to be not an attempt, but a reality as it relates to those who depend on the station that goes to court to defend the right to knowingly report false information as news for their information.

[MercedesV]

This whole thread is a thinly veiled attempt to insult all the Repubs on this board and basically call them stupid. It should be deleted as some much less demeaning threads have been. To smear Fox, though they never reported the things you mentioned, and all the viewers is typical of the left's desperate attempts to shut them down. I am guessing this was started by one of the Dems who are talking about bringing back the fairness doctrine along with Pelosi, Harkin and Bill Clinton. They want it back and I would guess some other Dems will jump on board so with the help of folks like you, they will spread the word that certain media must be shut down. It's beyond socialism. It's communism.

Here is a link with a run down of Fox pushing the war, pushing WMD in Iraq and other fabrications.

Keep in mind that in the first three weeks of March, before the bombs started officially dropping, Fox was spreading all sorts of Pentagon propaganda. Iraq had "drones" that it could quickly dispatch to major U.S. metropolitan areas to spread biological agents. Saddam was handing out chemical weapons to the Republican guard to use against coalition troops in a last-ditch red-zone ring around Baghdad. Given what we now know about Iraq, these reports seem to be laughable fantasies, but they were effective in securing public backing for the war. The following is a short chronicle of lies, propagation of lies, exaggerations, distortions, spin, and conjecture presented as fact. My comments are in brackets [ ]s.


http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig/steinreich8.html

Fox was an extension of the Bush WH and pushed this war unbelievably hard.

[MercedesV]

While other, more liberal, stations just choose to ignore facts and therefore are lying by virtue of what they don't report.

Can't say I disagree with that. I'm sure it does happen, by all media types. Sometimes it feels like they can only report on one topic/story at a time. And nothing else is happening.

Directly lying and misrepresenting things is done by Fox on a regular basis and some viewers think they are telling the truth. It certainly leads to misinformed people.

[interested]

While other, more liberal, stations just choose to ignore facts and therefore are lying by virtue of what they don't report.

Ahhh, you do need to twist yourself inside out in an attempt to make your non point, don't you?

You see, the point of the article is it's those who depend on a variety of sources who are not deluded by the active misinformation disseminated by one station (FOX) with an agenda, nor are they uninformed as would be the reader/listener who depends on a single source (take your pick, single source would be the key) with an aversion to reporting all of the news.

[crocdog]

This whole thread is a thinly veiled attempt to insult all the Repubs on this board and basically call them stupid. It should be deleted as some much less demeaning threads have been. To smear Fox, though they never reported the things you mentioned, and all the viewers is typical of the left's desperate attempts to shut them down. I am guessing this was started by one of the Dems who are talking about bringing back the fairness doctrine along with Pelosi, Harkin and Bill Clinton. They want it back and I would guess some other Dems will jump on board so with the help of folks like you, they will spread the word that certain media must be shut down. It's beyond socialism. It's communism.

This is not true, and you know it.

No one is insulting all Repubs. However, the base/core of the GOP is paranoid. This started happening during the Nixon Years.

You either agree with their views, faith based beliefs and convictions, 100% of the time or, you are against them.

Regards Faux, did you know that they went to Court to get the legal right to distort the news?

http://www.projectcensored.org/top-stories/articles/11-the-media-can-legally-lie/

JUST MY OPINION ON THIS SUBJECT

[DenverDem]

This is not true, and you know it.

No one is insulting all Repubs. However, the base/core of the GOP is paranoid. This started happening during the Nixon Years.

You either agree with their views, faith based beliefs and convictions, 100% of the time or, you are against them.

Regards Faux, did you know that they went to Court to get the legal right to distort the news?

http://www.projectcensored.org/top-stories/articles/11-the-media-can-legally-lie/

JUST MY OPINION ON THIS SUBJECT

Interesting how some readers and posters here are so disquieted by facts about a few scientifically conducted surveys that they have to lash out as if it's some vast leftist, socialist, even "communist" conspiracy.
:shrug:

[crocdog]

Here's what's wrong with this poll. It does not state what percent of the population strictly listens to FOX or any other news and nothing else. I am betting that it's a small number of people who use only one source and yet you are going to paint every FOX viewer with the same brush.

Even on Leno's jay walking segment, I don't think anyone claiming to have voted for BO was able to identify McCain's photo or name other leaders. Uninformed is the only word for them. I wonder what they watch for news, if anything. I'm sure they don't watch FOX. Granted, it wasn't an official poll and only a handful were shown, but it was still disturbing. Should we assume that all Dems are like the ones we saw? No, we shouldn't think that because it would be ignorant yet, you want to bash FOX viewers because of some obscure, likely slanted poll?

I'd guess that some do not care about current events at all, just the amount of money that will be handed to them and that's why they want socialism and increased welfare.

It's not all about Bush and the war. I am tired of that getting thrown at us when we are discussing socialism and the issues facing us now.

RE: [ It's not all about Bush and the war. I am tired of that getting thrown at us when we are discussing socialism and the issues facing us now.]

It is about the Iraq war. IT ONE OF MANY ISSUES FACING US NOW.

Our troops are still being killed over there, and many more are still getting horrific wounds.

We are still pumping 10 Billion dollars a month into this country that doesn't even want us there.

This doesn't seem to resonate with the vast majority of Repubs in Congress, who are more interested in mice, polar bears, tax cuts for the wealthy, and the like.

Judging by some of the posts on this Board, Socialism is Welfare for The American People, while Capitalism is Welfare for Wealthy.

Just My Opinion on this subject [caps in post for emphasis]

[interested]

Here's what's wrong with this poll. It does not state what percent of the population strictly listens to FOX or any other news and nothing else. I am betting that it's a small number of people who use only one source and yet you are going to paint every FOX viewer with the same brush.

Even on Leno's jay walking segment, I don't think anyone claiming to have voted for BO was able to identify McCain's photo or name other leaders. Uninformed is the only word for them. I wonder what they watch for news, if anything. I'm sure they don't watch FOX. Granted, it wasn't an official poll and only a handful were shown, but it was still disturbing. Should we assume that all Dems are like the ones we saw? No, we shouldn't think that because it would be ignorant yet, you want to bash FOX viewers because of some obscure, likely slanted poll?

I'd guess that some do not care about current events at all, just the amount of money that will be handed to them and that's why they want socialism and increased welfare.

It's not all about Bush and the war. I am tired of that getting thrown at us when we are discussing socialism and the issues facing us now.

Here's what blows that entire theory out of the water: If you'd actually read the article, you'd know it's not one poll, it's a compilation of 7 polls which encompassed a sample size of over 9,000 respondents. That would exceed every presidential poll during the campaign and any poll I can think of at the moment.

For your information, the Iraq war is current events and will continue to be as long as US citizens, our sons and daughters, are there risking their lives. I imagine it will remain current for some time to come for those who buried a loved one as a result of those lies & for those who will live the rest of their lives with disabilities as a result of there service in Iraq.

As for Socialism, the Bush/Paulson bank bailout would be the largest socialist program in the history of mankind.

[mudd]

<SNIPPED>

At any rate, does anyone really believe that no other media outlet ever stretched the truth, or more likely simply omitted it altogether?

If so, I think those outlets are very difficult to find:

http://www.olbermannwatch.com/

[watcher2005]

...
As for Socialism, the Bush/Paulson bank bailout would be the largest socialist program in the history of mankind.


It's right up there.

[interested]

I searched for the actual court document for the case claiming to credit FOX with having a court decide that the media can lie. It's never that simple.

(snip)

Let me help you out:

http://www.cqs.com/rbgh.htm

http://www.foxbghsuit.com/

Defense response follows the plaintiff complaint which links all the exhibits. They definitively did claim they had the right to lie, that no jury should ever be allowed to judge if they were or were not intentionally falsifying reports. The FCC is the only entity with that right and further that the FCC never has and never would.

[jenmito]

"
A new study by the Pew Research Study shows that viewers of the Daily Show and the Colbert Report have the highest knowledge of national and international affairs, while Fox News viewers rank nearly dead last"

http://thinkprogress.org/2007/04/16/daily-show-fox-knowledge/


Interesting!

"Study shows Fox News viewers misinformed about war, Iraq, WMD

“The extent of Americans’ misperceptions vary significantly depending on their source of news. Those who receive most of their news from Fox News are more likely than average to have misperceptions."

http://www.worldpublicopinion.org/pipa/articles/international_security_bt/102.php?nid=

Thanks for this! I am NOT surprised! :seeya: :D

[daniel green]

OK, so kinda on topic. Why didn't I know that Dan Abrams is dating Renee Zellwegger???????????????????? :confused:

[daniel green]

There it was in not one, but TWO magazines this morning. DA and RZ walking together in NYC, then traveling together. And I had nary a clue about this.

[theal3]

Polls many times are just checking how the propaganda is going, forming a agenda, bashing 24-7 and then check how its working periodically.

The Media is owned by Republicans, they are like a mouthpiece what ever is the agenda for the day, Fox in general is the worst propaganda pusher of them all.

Look at all the Oil Company Commercials when they are pushing a agenda like why was gas so high. Oil Co will roll out commercial after commercial on every station, its not for more business it to pay off the media.

Right now what the so called news media is really trying to do is deflate Obama, anything to get Obama’s rating in the dumpster, bashing 24-7 and will continue no matter what it does to the country.

One must watch who is advertizing, too, and where the guests come from, which think tanks or publications. After deregulation and the the FCC in the 80s, mergers happened in print, corporations and media radio and TV. 5 basic companies own all media.

Fox has very few official govt. people, Senators, Reps or spokespeople, but "consultants" from RW or GOP organizations, or GOP columnists.

When I watch CNN or MSNBC, they have legitiment knowledge people: A Dem Senator and Repub Senator, or GOP write and and Dem writer etc. A Dem talk show host and a GOP talk show host. I will say for all stations, even Fox,: that news at the top and bottom of the hour is fairly short brief and to the point write from AP or etc or current, no commentary. The rest are all "shows" on all the channels with their panels and discussions. So one tunes in to MSNBC or Fox for the personality of host. To each his own. These "shows" are not journalism, just shows.

IMHO, even cable is struggling with how to deal with the Internet where often viewers are more informed than the hosts: they have to produce a live show to make presentations and points, and by the time they get on air, their notes and info is out of date more on Fox, as I view it. than others....in other words, events change prior to the show but the show goes on. Actually every cable live show is at the mercy of staff and producers, and researchers: the hosts are readers, personalities. I look for the most current news, and events, and breaking headlines, and just find it more on CNN, and MSNBC. IMHO

[justaguy]

Can't say I disagree with that. I'm sure it does happen, by all media types. Sometimes it feels like they can only report on one topic/story at a time. And nothing else is happening.

Directly lying and misrepresenting things is done by Fox on a regular basis and some viewers think they are telling the truth. It certainly leads to misinformed people.
i am not suprised daily show viewers are fairly highly informed. they do satire on world events...if you don' know what they are talking about then..you probably won't get it..won't watch the show. i do think john stewart deserves some credit for making world events accessible to a younger generation. i bet there are alot that see him do a segment on something..and then go and google it.

am leaving the fox part alone. i am such an adoring fan of the daily show and john stewart i am irrevocably biased lol.

[justaguy]

There it was in not one, but TWO magazines this morning. DA and RZ walking together in NYC, then traveling together. And I had nary a clue about this.
not...MY DAN!! ok..now i hate rz. i was around ..he could write

[interested]

The circumstances which led to citing that one law is obviously too complicated to discuss. I am tired of the simplified version that they simply wanted to lie and set out to prove they legally could. But if that is easier to understand, so be it.

I am more concerned with the demonization of companies and politicians with no proof. There are a great many myths out there and the majority do not trace back to FOX.

That, was their defense whether you're tired of it or not. Just as the Iraq war is current, whether you're tired of it or not. Just as the article is based on 7 polls with the largest sampling pool I can recall, whether you like it or not.

So, you can go on denying reality, but it won't change it. Amazing how your rationalization has morphed in this one thread.

[penguin01]

Thank you. I couldn't get that particular link to open - but I just went to www.thinkprogress.org. and typed in Fox news in Court and had a great time reading several articles. I can't watch Fox more than a few minutes at a time.
They are just one big "memory Hole" when it comes to the last administration. And starting right after the election they didn't give the new President 100 minutes - never mind any days at all - before trotting out the expected party-line criticism. Talk about "Rush" to judgment, eh? :thumbdown: