NEW POLL: MOST REPUBLICANS RECEIVE THEIR INFORMATION ON ISSUES FROM ONE SOURCE--FOX NEWS
THINK PROGRESS, January 19, 2012 -- A new PPP poll confirms what many have long suspected — that many Americans get their news from sources that hew to their pre-existing beliefs.
But this phenomenon was not balanced on both sides of the ideological spectrum. While Democrats trust most news outlets, to varying degrees, Republicans trust only a single one — Fox News. While a massive 73 percent of Republicans trust Fox, the next highest rating among any major TV news outlet is PBS, which just 30 percent of GOPers trust, according to the PPP poll.
The numbers show just how powerful Fox can be in setting the agenda and influencing the world view of conservatives, with virtually no competition or accountability from the outside world. This monopoly on news penetration for an entire half of the electorate would be bad no matter the network, but it’s especially troubling considering Fox’s shoddy, and often agenda-driven “reporting.” And unlike an openly-ideological news outlet like ThinkProgress or the National Review, which freely advertise their perspectives, Fox insists it’s a traditional “fair and balanced” news outlet.
But this phenomenon was not balanced on both sides of the ideological spectrum. While Democrats trust most news outlets, to varying degrees, Republicans trust only a single one — Fox News. While a massive 73 percent of Republicans trust Fox, the next highest rating among any major TV news outlet is PBS, which just 30 percent of GOPers trust, according to the PPP poll.
The numbers show just how powerful Fox can be in setting the agenda and influencing the world view of conservatives, with virtually no competition or accountability from the outside world. This monopoly on news penetration for an entire half of the electorate would be bad no matter the network, but it’s especially troubling considering Fox’s shoddy, and often agenda-driven “reporting.” And unlike an openly-ideological news outlet like ThinkProgress or the National Review, which freely advertise their perspectives, Fox insists it’s a traditional “fair and balanced” news outlet.
@Rich, thanks for this post as it is great to know and hereare some of the reasons...
"I" watch Fox all the tiime as I like to look at all sides, and right now if I were a Conservtive, Fox would be the last place I would go for its purpose of discrediting Liberals...
1. Bill O'Rielly has taken to having guest (even his fellow co-anchors) so he can have them side against our President while he shows them how wrong thei rpoints are...but he still will have a guest like Juan Williams to help put him down for the way he asked Gingrich questions to get Newt to seem like he was sying tings he did not say...LIKE NEWT DID NOT SAY HE DID NOT BELIEVE HIMSELF TO BE WRONG ON THIS BEING A FOOD STAMP PRESIDENT OR WANTIHG CHILDREN TO BECOME JANITORS. LOL (SMILE)
2. TODAY NEIL CAVUTO WENT AGAINST HIS GUEST ON SAYING OUR PRESIDENT GAVE BAD MONEY TO SOLENDRA AND HOW OUR PRESIDENT IS FORCING TH EPRICES AT THE PUMP UP SO HE CAN MAKE GREEN ENERGY LOOK BETTER THAN THE FAILUAR IT IS IN TRYING TO FORCE CLEAN AIR AND WATER ONTO THE AMERICANS.
3. ON THE 'FIVE' THEY ARE SO LOST IN WHAT IT IS THEY HAVE BEEN SO USE TO BLAMING OUR PRESIDENT AND LIBERAL MEDIA, ECT. UNTIL THEY ARE FIGHTING AMONGST THEM SELF ON HOW RIGHT NEWT IS ON HIS VERSION OF 'FORGIVENESS' -'FAMILY VALUES AS IT WAS NOT TOO LONG AGO THEY WERE SAYING HOW WRONG THE GOVERER WAS FOR USING FORGIVENESS AND THE BIBLE AS NEWT IS DOING...NOW THA TPERRY IS GONE AND CAIN ARE GONE THEY MUS STICK WITH NEWT AS ROMNEY IS A TOTAL NO.NO TO FOX. (SMILE)