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…and that should come as no surprise to anyone on the planet. This is not the first time that some study concluded that Fox viewers were the most ignorant group when it came to current events such as politics,health care,and a host of other issues of life in the United States.
In most cases those who had greater levels of exposure to news sources had lower levels of misinformation. There were, however, a number of cases where greater exposure to a particular news source increased misinformation on some issues.
Those who watched Fox News almost daily were significantly more likely than those who never watched it to believe that most economists estimate the stimulus caused job losses (12 points more likely), most economists have estimated the health care law will worsen the deficit (31 points), the economy is getting worse (26 points), most scientists do not agree that climate change is occurring (30 points), the stimulus legislation did not include any tax cuts (14 points), their own income taxes have gone up (14 points), the auto bailout only occurred under Obama (13 points), when TARP came up for a vote most Republicans opposed it (12 points) and that it is not clear that Obama was born in the United States (31 points). The effect was also not simply a function of partisan bias, as people who voted Democrat and watched Fox News were also more likely to have such misinformation than those who did not watch it--though by a lesser margin than those who voted Republican.
I would note that Fox was not entirely alone in reporting news in a not so truthful manner,they are just the best at being a propoganda outlet for the Republican Party and their wealthy friends.
Read the entire article here,and if you feel really bold, go here for more of this:
This study corroborates a previous PIPA study that focused on the Iraq war with similar results. And there was an NBC/Wall Street Journal poll that demonstrated the break with reality on the part of Fox viewers with regard to health care. The body of evidence that Fox News is nothing but a propaganda machine dedicated to lies is growing by the day.
In eight of the nine questions below, Fox News placed first in the percentage of those who were misinformed (they placed second in the question on TARP). That's a pretty high batting average for journalistic fraud. Here is a list of what Fox News viewers believe that just aint so:
- 91% believe that the stimulus legislation lost jobs.
- 72% believe that the health reform law will increase the deficit.
- 72% believe that the economy is getting worse.
- 60% believe that climate change is not occurring.
- 49% believe that income taxes have gone up.
- 63% believe that the stimulus legislation did not include any tax cuts.
- 56% believe that Obama initiated the GM/Chrysler bailout.
- 38% believe that most Republicans opposed TARP.
- 63% believe that Obama was not born in the US (or that it is unclear).
The conclusion is inescapable. Fox News is deliberately misinforming their viewers and they are doing it for a reason. Every issue above is one in which the Republican Party had a vested interest. They benefited from the ignorance that Fox News helped to proliferate.
You Betcha! FoxNews:Fairly Unbalanced!
