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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThe Science Of Fox News: Why Its Viewers Are The Most Misinformed
https://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/10/23/1338538/--The-Science-Of-Fox-News-Why-Its-Viewers-Are-The-Most-MisinformedThe author explores the findings of seven surveys. These are public opinion surveys that ask citizens about their beliefs on factual but contested issues, and also about their media habits. Inevitably, some significant percentage of citizens are found to be misinformed about the facts, and in a politicized waybut not only that. The surveys also find that those who watch Fox are more likely to be misinformed, their views of reality skewed in a right-wing direction. In some cases, the studies even show that watching more Fox makes the misinformation problem worse.
The issues were the Iraq War, Global Warming, Health Care, Ground Zero Mosque, 2010 Elections. The author goes on to explore the evidence that supports his key tenet: Fox viewers are misinformed. Of note, this means, in his study, that Fox viewers are both misinformed in term of what they know, and that they have been misinformed by Fox as a source of what they know.
Looking at a variety of studies, the author comes to the conclusion that Fox is imparting misinformation even as politically conservative viewers are also seeking the station outhighly open to it and already convinced about many falsehoods that dovetail with their beliefs, certainty is driven by a kind of feedback loop. Those seeking to have their beliefs reinforced only look to those who will reinforce it. This is referred to as selective exposure and it is the clearest way to look at how people create their own realities, based upon their views of the world.
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But at the same time, its also likely that conservatives, tending to be more closed-minded and more authoritarian, have a stronger emotional need for an outlet like Fox, where they can find affirmation and escape from the belief challenges constantly presented by the liberal media. Their psychological need for something affirmative is probably stronger than whats encountered on the opposite side of the aisleas is their revulsion towards allegedly liberal (but really centrist) media outlets.
And thus we find, at the root of our political dysfunction, a classic nurture-nature mélange. The penchant for selective exposure is rooted in our psychology and our brains. Closed-mindedness and authoritarianismrunning stronger in some of us than in otherslikely are as well.
But nevertheless, it took the emergence of a station like Fox News before these tendencies could be fully activatedpolarizing America not only over politics, but over reality itself.
Gothmog
(145,291 posts)That is why Fox News viewers are so ignorant
ffr
(22,670 posts)Says so right in their Terms of Service which is online for everyone to Google and see.
No really, that's what they are an Entertainment outlet. The News label is just that, but there's no relevance for them to that word. Just read their Terms of Use. ...their services are for your entertainment and enjoyment.
Enthusiast
(50,983 posts)Hortensis
(58,785 posts)they are really afraid of what a GOP win would mean for the environment. Of course, Fox is a major, major promoter of climate denial, to please its viewers for also very much for the benefit of Business as Usual.
Fox may have been formed to develop a viewership of conservatives to sell to advertisers, but it has always also had a secondary purpose of promoting conservatism for business. I'm guessing it has become even more powerful politically than either Rupert Murdoch or Roger Ailes initially hoped, currently choosing among and promoting certain presidential candidates, shaping debates to suit its purposes, among much else.
BTW, the Conservation Voters also like Sanders and O'Malley a lot, and would normally wait until after we picked our nominee to support that person, but they feel a great need to get busy early because of what is at stake.
[link:https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/league-of-conservation-voters-action-fund-to-endorse-clinton/2015/11/08/4020cc9c-862d-11e5-be39-0034bb576eee_story.html|
Gumboot
(531 posts)And the first thing a cult does, is to tell its members that everyone else is lying to them.
The more you watch, the less you know. And the cult members watch hours and hours of this crap every day, for reasons I cannot comprehend.
underpants
(182,826 posts)You are spot on - cult/abusive relationship- don't talk to the neighbors they will tell you LIES!!!
Scuba
(53,475 posts)... fear and guilt, while Fox uses fear and hate.
MisterP
(23,730 posts)in a waiting-room or whatever
Bucky
(54,014 posts)Karl Rove makes his own reality, Jack.
randys1
(16,286 posts)tanyev
(42,564 posts)I know I gave Air America a shot when it was available in this area, but I found that after already reading about most of AA's topics of discussion on DU, I did not want to listen to more discussion of it while I was driving.
Mnemosyne
(21,363 posts)brewens
(13,590 posts)As if the only reason was they would be afraid to face fair and tough questions! LOL
My response was sure, let the Democrats set it up, pick the moderators and allow FOX "News" to show it unedited. I then commented that FOX "News" viewers would quickly turn it off, which is exactly what would happen. There is now way they would tolerate any kind of reasonable debate or forum making any Democratic party candidate look good.
Android3.14
(5,402 posts)Fred Sanders
(23,946 posts)The hatred in particular of the black man in the WH is pathological at Fox.
get the red out
(13,466 posts)has destroyed our country.
SheilaT
(23,156 posts)ever since Fox "News" came about, its viewers have consistently been misinformed about almost everything.
newfie11
(8,159 posts)Stellar
(5,644 posts)It's been written about many, many times.
http://www.alternet.org/media/science-fox-news-why-its-viewers-are-most-misinformed
http://www.forbes.com/sites/kenrapoza/2011/11/21/fox-news-viewers-uninformed-npr-listeners-not-poll-suggests/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/17/fox-news-viewers-are-the-_n_798146.html
http://www.newrepublic.com/article/118066/brookings-survey-fox-news-home-most-conservative-republicans
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2011/jun/20/jon-stewart/jon-stewart-says-those-who-watch-fox-news-are-most/
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2012/05/23/university-study-determines-fox-news-has-least-informed-national-audience-based-on-these-questions/
http://www.poynter.org/news/mediawire/174826/survey-nprs-listeners-best-informed-fox-news-viewers-worst-informed/
FOX trys to answer (as they always do). FOX News
etc, etc, etc!!!
Enthusiast
(50,983 posts)Excellent article!
Confirmation bias at its finest.
Imagine the outrage if this was reported by Fox News about dailyKOS?
bvar22
(39,909 posts)down here in the deep Red South, when I go to town for supplies, I have noticed that fewer businesses have their customer's TVs tuned to Fox.
More are tuned to CNN... or The Weather Channel.
Just a few years ago, everything was Faux wherever I went.
Wounded Bear
(58,662 posts)especially the last few years when they have been increasingly mimicking the Faux Noise model.
I'll allow they are not as bad, and that there seems to be a bit of backlash among the mainstream media correlating with the decline in Fox interest based on dwindling demographics.
Tommy_Carcetti
(43,182 posts)MisterP
(23,730 posts)and that leads to rapid divergence and even violence
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deviancy_amplification_spiral
that's also how the fundies operate; they're persecuted, they're a tiny island of faith in a sea of mainline heresiarchs, they're fighting the icy technocracy that wants to recruit our kids into going all "Constant Gardener"
hifiguy
(33,688 posts)Octafish
(55,745 posts)Duh Internet will make everyone informed.