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Fox proven hazardous to brain

Posted: Dec 17, 2010

Extended exposure to Fox News makes voters stupid, university study finds

The troublesome record of spin by conservative television station Fox News has long been a cause for concern to many Americans, who frequently allege that the nation's most viewed "news" network has the effect of dumbing down voters.

Turns out, they were right.

A University of Maryland study (PDF) published earlier this month found that people in the survey who had the most exposure to Fox News were more likely to believe falsehoods and rumors about national and world affairs when compared to those who paid attention to other news outlets.

In a summary carried by Alternet, the following falsehoods were most relayed by Fox News viewers:

91 percent believed the stimulus legislation lost jobs;

72 percent believed the health reform law will increase the deficit;
72 percent believed the economy is getting worse;

60 percent believed climate change is not occurring;

49 percent believed income taxes have gone up;

63 percent believed the stimulus legislation did not include any tax cuts;

56 percent believed Obama initiated the GM/Chrysler bailout;

38 percent believed that most Republicans opposed TARP;

63 percent believed Obama was not born in the U.S. (or that it is unclear).

The poll's findings seem to sync with those of an NBC News survey (PDF) taken during the height of America's health care reform debate, where Fox News viewers were found to be most likely to have believed wildly inaccurate interpretations of the legislation.

While Fox News and parent company News Corporation have long been criticized cheerleading Republican causes and conservative-allied business interests, it has been under more intense criticism of late over high profile donations to Republicans, deceptive video editing on multiple programs and even on-air GOP fundraisers.

Though the station claims to run "news" programming during the daytime, liberal watchdog group MediaMatters recently revealed a leaked email that shows one of the network's top editors ordering anchors to use terminology favored by conservatives.

In a follow-up, the media blog released a second leaked email showing the same editor, Fox News Washington, DC managing editor Bill Sammon, directing staff to cast doubt upon climate data, even when it was not in question. The revelation was hailed by former Vice President Al Gore, a champion of climate change activism, who argued it proves the spin coming from Fox News is straight from the top.

And it doesn't help that one of their most-watched opinion hosts, conspiracy theorist Glenn Beck, is prone to making up outrageous falsehoods to scare viewers.

The network has big plans to expand it's brand into the future: According to anchor Chris Wallace, the 2012 Republican presidential primary elections will be "a production of Fox News," not unlike the Fox network's American Idol.

Virtually all the leading GOP candidates are paid contributors for the network, and over 30 Fox News personalities have endorsed Republicans in the past.

The Obama administration, similarly, has called Fox News "a wing of the Republican party."

;

Very interesting, but not surprising. - Crazy like a Fox

[ In Reply To ..]
It is obviously true, based on the Fox supporters who post on this forum.

And based on opinions like this... - see message

[ In Reply To ..]
Based on posts like this and others on this forum, it is obviously true what Dr. Lyle Rossiter, a veteran psychiatrist, wrote about liberals being mentally ill.

I guess. I know that MSNBC is too - But this does not prove anything

[ In Reply To ..]
The University of MD does not represent the country.

This TV station war is getting pretty old. Yes, you could find a study that says watching Fox is hazardous, and yes there is research done that liberals are mentally insane, but it does not mean anything. People are going to watch what they want and people are always going to argue that the other side is insane, unstable, blah, blah, blah, but it won't change anything. People who like Fox will continue to watch, people who like MSNBC will continue to watch them, and other stations included. And people will always try to post anything to "prove" that the other side is wrong or insane or people who watch this or that station are "stupid".

Having UofM come out and say this doesn't mean anything. Those are not actual representations of the country. Where did they get their information. Did they poll only certain people. Did they poll the whole country, or did they poll the areas that they know what the outcome would be and they feel it would support what they want to believe.

I've lost interest in Fox mainly because of O'Reilly & Hannity. They both make me crazy, so I don't watch, except Shep Smith that tells me what's going on around the country/world. I refuse to watch MSNBC basically because I felt like my brain was fried watching them. Nothing they say is worth listening to or believable.

But coming to say Bobby Jo did a survey and he said this or that is meaningless. This survey doesn't mean anything.

I agree with you. These studies mean little. As - someone said on here SM

[ In Reply To ..]
recently, DO YOUR RESEARCH. This inclues both sides of the aisle. If anyone listens to a particular TV station or show and then assumes it must be true because I heard it on Fox/MSNBC, etc., then they truly are "dumbed down". Research both sides of the issue, get your info from different sources, and then make a decision. Also, anyone who posts on here and says "so and so" station, show, or host is not biased really should start thinking outside the box because thinking that way is very detrimental to your intelligence. JMO

Did you forget Bret? He has news, too. - Backwards Typist

[ In Reply To ..]
I watch Shep and Bret. That's where I get a lot of my "breaking news" that I post here. When they have breaking news, I look for something to back it up, then post the article.

You are correct about some of the polls. There are legitimate polls out there but Raw Story/WPO/MM are not. They all are at war with Fox, trying to get them banned from the airways and internet...but they don't realize that it's a form of censure. If they get Fox banned, then those groups can also be banned.

Is that what they really want?

Trying to get them banned? Possibly, but I'm sure live and let live - would be preferable

[ In Reply To ..]
If they could be fair and balanced and have some ethics there would be no issue.

I did forget Bret because he's usually on during the time I work - see message

[ In Reply To ..]
Bret is good. Sometimes I'll take my lunch around the time he is on. I do like him. He just tells the news stories as they are. Sometimes I like Greta, but her voice hits a nerve in me, but I like her reporting. Shep makes me laugh sometime, but jeez I wish he'd stop showing the poor bear that falls out of the tree and onto the trampolene and then on his nose. He thinks its funny and laughs but I find it totally disturbing because the bear falls right onto his nose. Maybe he doesn't feel it because he's tranquilized but when he does wake I'm sure the bear was in a lot of pain. It's just disturbing to me. Other than that I like Shep.

This is the way I think of these news station wars. Everyone is going to watch what they want and it doesn't matter who tells us we are stupid, etc for watching what we do because we think they are the same for watching what they do. ha ha ha. They can put up any phony poll done by Billy Jo or Bubba, that has no credibility, it doesn't mean it's true. Nothing anyone could say on this board will change our minds on which news stations we watch, whether its Fox, MSNBC, CNN, CSPAN or others or nothing. And I find it disrespectful that people will gleefully cut down others on this board by the guise of anonymity all because they prefer to watch Fox, MSNBC or whatever station. People love to put up "polls" that America is stupid if they watch this or that, or they don't know what's really going on, then state their opinions as though they are fact. Also, the news stations are all backed by pretty much the same people (same type of people). The only thing different about Fox is they are not disrespectful to liberal guests. MSNBC is very disrespectful to conservative guests (when they rarely have them on). That's why I don't watch them. That and that Mathews, Olberman, Maddow and a most everyone else there (that jerk that spews hatred like a rabid dog every time he opens his mouth, Schultz I think his name is) are totally insane. And also don't like certain people on Fox and so I don't watch them.

But overall I think both stations are backed by the same people (or same type of people), and I think the station wars are all a front meant to keep us in the dark (dumbed down) about the real issues going on. And you know they've done their job well by reading a lot of the posts on this board cutting down both stations and the people that watch them.

Thanks for the laugh. - Backwards Typist

[ In Reply To ..]

Well, “A University of Maryland Study”, clicking on that takes you to Worldpublicopinion.com poll. I take it with a grain of salt. Guess who funds them? Note the third one and the 10th one. It is not the University of Maryland, it is the UOM Foundation, which is a part of UOM but I doubt the study could be considered backed by them.

WPO is made possible by the generous support of:

Rockefeller Foundation
Rockefeller Brothers Fund
Tides Foundation
Ford Foundation
German Marshall Fund of the United States
Compton Foundation
Carnegie Corporation
Benton Foundation
Ben and Jerry's Foundation
University of Maryland Foundation
Circle Foundation
JEHT Foundation
Stanley Foundation
Ploughshares Fund
Calvert Foundation
Secure World Foundation
Oak Foundation
United States Institute of Peace

When I saw the words Media Matters, I knew it was skewed as Media Matters is one of the groups backed by George Soros and we KNOW for a fact that they are totally against Fox News. If you go to their website, all you see is crap about Fox.

One of the poll questions was which one of the following television news sources do you ge tMOSt of your information about the health care debate….Answers were: Broadcast network news such as NBC, ABC, or CBS had a total of 40 responders. Fox was second with 23. So, evidently, Raw Story had it wrong.

From which ONE of the following television news sources do you get MOST of your information about the health care debate? If you do not watch any of these, please just say so. Broadcast network news, such as NBC, ABC, or CBS ..........	40		[174]
The cable channel CNN .........................................................		17
The cable channel MSNBC ....................................................		7
The cable channel Fox News .................................................		23
None of these .........................................................................		11

Instead of posting skewed info, take the time to research who backs these groups before posting.

BTW, the link to Alternet was not even there, so I can’t comment on that.

Another note: Fox has dems as well as pubs on their program to give their opinions. I don’t know any other program except Dylan Ratigan who does that.

polls - Broke

[ In Reply To ..]
Outstanding research! Some people can't handle facts when they are presented to them. Usually to get the facts, all you have to do is follow the money trail. My radar went up when I saw University of Maryland did a poll and the questions were kind of strange (skewed).

Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon? oh, I see - Fox has not covered it

[ In Reply To ..]
If you had read the article, you would see that the health care debate question was from a different survey performed used to corroborate the survey data from the UOM.

I realize Fox viewers do not trust sources like a respected University.

assuming - Broke

[ In Reply To ..]
I never said I'm a Fox viewer. I get my news sources from many different places and do my own research. I think all the news sources are skewed to the right or left. The news organizations all have their own agenda, as well as universities, corporations, unions, nonprofits, etc.

My comment was directed to the Shep/Bret viewer - aren't they Fox? nm

[ In Reply To ..]

That would be me you are directing your comment to - see message

[ In Reply To ..]
If you are going to cut me down because I watch a couple people who are on Fox you should have replied to my message.

I don't know what six degrees of Kevin Bacon is. I imagine a movie he was in, but I don't know because I didn't see it.

I really can't see what the problem is people have with people who watch Fox. People who watch Fox also watch and read other things. People seem to be only to pleased to call others who watch Fox all the nasties they can think of.

I don't watch everyone on Fox, just a couple of people that I trust what they are saying (can't say that for anyone on MSNBC).

And no, we don't trust the slanted left-winger surveys. Especially when we find out it's backed by Soros.

If you look at my "reply to" it is to the Backwards Typist - who in an earlier post said she watches Fox

[ In Reply To ..]
and then tried to diminish the legitimacy of the University of Maryland research by making assumptive connections that research would be skewed. (thus a reference to the Kevin Bacon game.)

Well I replied that I watched them too - see message

[ In Reply To ..]
You still should have directed the comments to her.

Sorry to tell you this but BTs research was well done. UofM has no legitimacy of this skewed research they did. It was bogus and backed by Soros and other uber liberals. It was not fair or accurate.

Look up "outline format" and read the "In the Reply To" - really.

[ In Reply To ..]

University of Maryland and UOM Foundation - Backwards Typist

[ In Reply To ..]
are two different things. THe UOM is a university. The UOM Foundation is a group of people who fund the UOM along with other smaller universities according to their website.

Read my lips: They are NOT the University of Maryland.

http://www.usmf.org/usmf/about/about-usmf/who-we-serve/

Yes, I do. But I also watch Dylan and Matthews - Backwards Typist

[ In Reply To ..]
Known them? Yep, MSNBC.

I watch Bret, Shep, and sometimes Megyn Kelley on Fox.

What category do you put C-Span?

and the Survey Says! - Comedy Channel viewers more informed than Fox

[ In Reply To ..]

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

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:

Despite significant technology shifts, however, Pew found that “today’s citizens are about as able to name their leaders, and are about as aware of major news events, as was the public nearly 20 years ago.”

The results about Fox News echo findings of previous surveys. In 2003, University of Maryland researchers studied the public’s belief in three false claims — that Iraq possessed WMD, that Iraq was involved in 9/11, and that there was international support for the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.

The researchers stated, “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.” Fox News viewers were “three times more likely than the next nearest network to hold all three misperceptions.”

And another progressive/liberal study linked to Media Matters (nm) - Backwards Typist

[ In Reply To ..]
,

I find it funny that - see message

[ In Reply To ..]
If a homeless person off the street said they did a survey and everyone who watches Fox is stupid, etc, etc, they'd post it here as though it's a valid poll. They are really grasping at straws here trying to find anything that agrees with what they want to believe and they certainly don't like anyone pointing out facts to go against what they want to believe.

Thank you BT for doing your research.

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