Fox News makes people dumb.

by Fariborz-Zak Posted 2012/05/24 07:09:35

Related Topics: Fox News, NPR, Jon Stewart, School, The Daily Show, Cable, Stewart, Media, Fox, New Jersey, Issues, Americans, Talk Show, Daily Show, Daily Show With Jon Stewart

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RT.com:Researchers at Fairleigh Dickinson University conducted a study last year that yielded some inarguably unsurprising information about Fox News’ viewership. At the time, researchers concluded that, based off of a study that sampled residents of New Jersey, people that only watch Fox News are less informed on current events than people that don’t watch cable news at all. Now only months later, the school’s researchers have published their finding of a similar study that calls on a sample of participants from coast-to-coast and, according to the results, confirm that their earlier report wasn’t a fluke.

According to the latest study, Americans who watch only Fox News to learn about current events are indeed less informed than most everyone else.

The report reveals that, on average, American’s are able to correctly answer 1.8 out of 4 questions on international news and 1.6 of 5 questions when quizzed on domestic issues. For those that disregard the television for taking in daily newscasts, they averaged 1.22 answers correctly.

Fox viewers, of course, were a different story.

“[S]omeone who watched only Fox News would be expected to answer just 1.04 domestic questions correctly – a figure which is significantly worse than if they had reported watching no media at all,” reveals the study.

“On the other hand, if they listened only to NPR, they would be expected to answer 1.51 questions correctly; viewers of Sunday morning talk shows fare similarly well. And people watching only The Daily Show with Jon Stewart could answer about 1.42 questions correctly.”

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Philo-Publius 2012/05/24 16:40:39

somewhat

+1
If the difference in the public's comprehension/knowledge/recall of current events is only 1.04 out of 5 as opposed to 1.51 out of 5 depending on whether they watch/listen to Fox over NPR, and this figure does not rise much above the '1' range no matter *where* they get their news, then this survey itself, as reported, will surely likewise fall on deaf ears and blind eyes.

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Emma's Dilemma 2012/05/24 10:05:55

disagree

Fox News viewers are the smartest and most well informed people on earth.

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A Founding Father 2012/05/24 07:36:45

maybe

Actually, it is hard to determine the chicken - egg question with any precision. Were they? Or are they because? I can only speak for myself and the few I know who do watch Fox.
Er, yes, most of those who do are a few cards short of the magic 52.

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