E&P: Pew Survey Finds Most-Knowledgable Americans Watch Daily Show; Fox Viewers 2nd-To-Last Aware

[Hissyspit]

http://www.mediainfo.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003571876

Pew Survey Finds Most Aware Americans Watch 'Daily Show' and 'Colbert'-- and Visit Newspaper Sites

By E&P Staff

Published: April 15, 2007 11:30 PM ET

NEW YORK A new survey of 1,502 adults released Sunday by Pew Research Center for the People & the Press found that despite the mass appeal of the Internet and cable news since a previous poll in 1989, Americans' knowledge of national affairs has slipped a little. For example, only 69% know that Dick Cheney is vice president, while 74% could identify Dan Quayle in that post in 1989.

Other details are equally eye-opening. Pew judged the levels of knowledgeability (correct answers) among those surveyed and found that those who scored the highest were regular watchers of Comedy Central's The Daily Show and Colbert Report. They tied with regular readers of major newspapers in the top spot -- with 54% of them getting 2 out of 3 questions correct. Watchers of the Lehrer News Hour on PBS followed just behind.

Virtually bringing up the rear were regular watchers of Fox News. Only 1 in 3 could answer 2 out of 3 questions correctly. Fox topped only network morning show viewers.

Told that Shia was one group of Muslims struggling in Iraq, only 32% could name "Sunni" as the other key group.

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[EFerrari]

1. If nothing else, now we know for sure that 30% of this country

is limited.

[klebean]

2. ah the smell of empirical evidence in the early morning...n/t

[Lasher]

3. Of those who admit to watching the O'Reilly factor on a regular basis...

83% believe the earth is flat.

[ClintonTyree]

4. Not at all surprising....

people with a keen sense of humor are more intelligent than their grumpy counterparts. Fox viewers? These are incurious people who need to be told how to think, are intellectually lazy and extremely gullible. As a whole, Americans are woefully ignorant of world affairs and many seem to wear their ignorance as a badge of honor, read: FReeper. They celebrate their ignorance. :eyes:

[Spurt]

5. The underlying message here..

is that at least a third of the pop'n is completely disconnected from politics - but they still get to vote!

That leads to the true value of FoxNoise to Rebublics. The disconnected vote according to what Fox tells them, rather than by informed judgment.

[maine_raptor]

6. Ok now if........

54% of the respondents that watch TDS and CR can name the Vp, is it because that is the depth of their knowledge, or is it because 46% refuse to acknowledge Cheney as VP?

[Jcrowley]

7. Surpise, surprise

[malaise]

15. Ditto n/t

[hvn_nbr_2]

8. But, hey, why didn't they ask any of the important questions, like...

What is Anna Nicole's baby's name?
Will Iraq be a cakewalk or a two-step or just a stroll in the park?
Was Saddam evil?
Are San Francisco values evil?

[Mabus]

13. Or what about Branglina?

Or Tomkat? Or Brittany Spears or Natalie Holloway or Jon Benet!

That poll was biased. :grr:


:rofl:

[Hissyspit]

9. .

[jasmeel]

10. Morning "news" shows are killing America. Seriously. The drivel

on in the morning is made for the brain dead!

[Roland99]

12. Yeah, 1/3 don't know the VP's name but I bet 90% know Anna Nicole Smith's baby's name.

:eyes:

[Roland99]

11. Fox Noise is such a grand contributor of mexed missages. They are misunderestimated.

[Jack Rabbit]

14. What an indictment of the MSM!

A few years ago, I killed the television and began getting my news from a collection of Internet sources such as the BBC, the Guardian, some mainstream US papers and some alternative news coverage. I also try to keep track of what the right is saying, but it's become difficult to find "conservative" opinion that isn't utter nonsense.

It is no surprise that FoxNews is near the bottom of sources for well-informed viewers. If there's any surprise, it is that Today and Good Morning, America are even less informative. Morning network news shows like that have always been fluffy, but it sounds like they've gotten worse in the last eight years.

What ought to be alarming is that Comedy Central now seems to be the best purveyor of reliable information. Chet and David must be turning over in their graves.

[Hissyspit]

16. .

[depakid]

17. "Fox topped only network morning show viewers." LOL,

I was home sick a month ago and tuned in some of those "morning shows."

OMFG!

I had no idea....