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PUBLIC OPINION > Big News Is Bad News

SodaHead News 2012/06/28 16:00:00
CNN reported a massive drop in viewership this year, losing more than a third of its total audience. Fox News, on the other hand, is floating along nicely, only dropping about 1%. But we wanted to know how viewership looked at the ground level. What percentage of the public watches major news networks? We asked the public to find out.

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As ratings predicted, Fox News came out on top. However, even more respondents shunned the entire batch. That's evidence of two things. First, the so-called "major" news networks are hardly satisfactory outlets for news. They might have the most viewers, but as with the music charts, a high rating doesn't mean high quality. Second, it suggests most people are getting their news from alternative sources, because it's unlikely all these people are just ignoring world events completely. They're just sick of the major outlets. One commenter put it best: "If I want to hear nothing but lies, I'll talk to my ex wife."

Conservatives Back Fox

Naturally, all of these stations deny these claims of bias. Whether or not that's true is really a matter of opinion, but what is clear is that their viewers do lean. 77% of conservatives voted Fox, compared to 0% of liberals and progressives; 31% of liberals watch CNN or MSNBC, compared to 2% of conservatives. The vast majority of moderates (72%) avoid the major news channels all together.

The Internet Age

The reason "none of the above" was such a popular choice was clear in the age breakdown: People under 35 don't watch the news. Below that age, the difference in support between major networks was negligible. About two-thirds of them refused to pick one. And we think the reason for this is pretty obvious, too. Do they really expect us to wait 'til 11 when we could just check our personalized feed?

Alternative Sources

Simply saying that "the Internet" is an alternative source of news isn't specific enough. We wanted to see what other people were watching specifically. A quick glance through the comments revealed: YouTube, The Onion, Al Jazeera, C-SPAN, local news, college radio, The Weather Channel, and there were even a few hits for The History Channel.

If you'd like to vote on this question, dig deeper into the demographics, or engage in existing discussion about the topic, visit our poll on major news networks. We'd love to hear from you!
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Top Opinion

  • JWnTX 2012/06/28 16:42:07
    JWnTX
    +16
    Funny how the liberals seem to be the experts on the alleged bias at Fox News, yet they never watch it. Of course, there have been studies--Pew Research, USC, and UCLA studies--that show that of all the networks, cable and broadcast, Fox News was the most balanced in the 2008 election. But don't bother bringing that up to a lib. They're so invested in their alternate reality that they could never bring themselves to admit that they've been wrong. Here's a great insight into the liberal mindset (this particular one refers to the end of the old Soviet Union, but it's just as applicable to our own leftists and their chosen faith):

    Vital resistance and resentment are the two main responses to the events of 1989. Vital resistance: the mind realizes its mistake – it admits, for example, that nationalization of the means of production does not produce a happy society, but rather laziness and constant shortages; it refuses, however, to let go of the idea because of its passionate attachment to it. Existence – adventures, friendships, successes – is nourished and permeated by this belief to such an extent that the belief becomes an identity; the individual cannot renounce it without committing a kind of symbolic suicide. No one can admit… that his existence reflects the echo of a failure.--Chantal Delsol, "Unlearned Lessons of the Twentieth Century"--hat tip to Ward Dorrity

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Opinions

  • Kiosk Kid Max7 2012/06/29 05:53:31
    Kiosk Kid
    +1
    I use everyones facts especially Obama's OMB. My favorite thing to do is slam a Liberal with facts from Fox News.

    Automatically, the Marxist will spew the fallacy of Shooting the Messenger (attacking Fox News as a source) Then I will use an Obama reference saying the same thing as Fox News did.

    You get a double slam on the Liberal. They get mad too. I have been block 5 times for that set up.

    Of course, as second best is to sucker the Liberal in with a Fox News reference and then slam the Liberal with a MSNBC reference saying the same thing.

    I don't get blocked nearly as often as with a Fox News and Obama combination.
  • Eric Al... Kiosk Kid 2012/06/29 10:45:09
    Eric Albertson
    Explain this explain
    explain
    explain
  • Kiosk Kid Eric Al... 2012/06/29 15:34:13
    Kiosk Kid
    +1
    What is there to explain?
  • biggerman Max7 2012/06/29 06:47:18
    biggerman
    When was the last time Rush Limbaugh was on FOX News? 6 or 7 months ago. Rush is rarely on FOX News.
  • aneed2know Kiosk Kid 2012/06/29 09:09:02
    aneed2know
    Bull Crap
  • Kiosk Kid aneed2know 2012/06/29 15:38:04
    Kiosk Kid
    Marxist Liberal can't produce facts beecause Marxism doesn't work. They can only spew accusations, fallacies, and personal attacks. You chose to spew an accusation. It is Standard Libeeral Operatting Procedure (SLOP).
  • aneed2know Kiosk Kid 2012/06/30 04:19:06
    aneed2know
    excuse me where is the attack in what i said to you? Bull Crap is not an attack its an affirmative statement that is saying you are lying?
  • Kiosk Kid aneed2know 2012/06/30 17:24:44
    Kiosk Kid
    +1
    Marxist Liberals can't produce facts because Marxism doesn't work. They can only spew accusation, fallacies, and personal attacks. It is Standard Liberal Operating Procedure (SLOP).
  • Katie1234 Kiosk Kid 2012/06/29 10:38:42 (edited)
    Katie1234
    +4
    ikr! LIBERALS = BABIES
  • umapathy Krishnamurthy 2012/06/28 23:50:09
    umapathy Krishnamurthy
    Not always
  • John Hall 2012/06/28 22:26:03
    John Hall
    +1
    I watch/liten to my local news.
  • Katie1234 John Hall 2012/06/29 10:40:56
    Katie1234
    yeah, i would too, except my local news is horrible! theres always some blooper going on lol
  • Jessica 2012/06/28 21:46:31
    Jessica
    I've actually never really watched any of the news networks in this poll. I usually watch local news and the stuff on ABC like Good Morning America.
  • cm 2012/06/28 21:43:05
    cm
    +2
    I rarely watch any of the alphabet channels, MSNBC or CNN, if I watch the news, most of the time it will be Fox. All news has some bias but at least Fox does not make up the news out of thin air like some of the others.
  • America... cm 2012/06/29 00:09:26
    American☆Atheist
    +2
    Fox literally makes things up.
  • cm America... 2012/06/29 01:47:17
    cm
    +1
    Here's a challenge for ya, name one. And for your information no one at Fox went to the Walter Cronkite, Dan Rather School of (yellow journalism) Broadcasting.
  • America... cm 2012/06/29 05:14:42
    American☆Atheist
    English please.
  • cm America... 2012/06/29 05:29:41
    cm
    You said Fox makes up the news, I challenged you to prove it. That should be plain enough even for a liberal to understand or should I TYPE IN UPPERCASE or should I T Y P E slower for ya.
  • America... cm 2012/06/29 05:40:40
  • cm America... 2012/06/29 05:44:09
    cm
    Still waiting
  • America... cm 2012/06/30 00:32:49
    American☆Atheist
    Then i guess you won't accept facts
  • cm America... 2012/06/30 02:15:00
    cm
    I'm fact based person the problem is your reality is not.
  • America... cm 2012/06/30 04:35:24
    American☆Atheist
    You are not fact base, you are "believe whatever you like" base.
  • Katie1234 America... 2012/06/29 10:44:43
    Katie1234
    +1
    quit hitting us with the bloopers and just state the facts... LIBERALS = BABIES
  • Katie1234 America... 2012/06/29 11:05:46
    Katie1234
    +1
    commenting on one of ur photos: on the 'lunatics of the left wing', u realize that the left wing are u guys right?
  • America... Katie1234 2012/06/30 00:32:19
    American☆Atheist
    Yes, that's why the pic is a lie.
  • Katie1234 America... 2012/06/30 22:41:21
    Katie1234
    whatever. u liberals have HALF if NOT 1/3 the brain conservatives and regular blue dog democrats. But, u would ACTUALLY have to make an effort to think.
  • America... Katie1234 2012/07/01 04:31:12
    American☆Atheist
    Liberals are proven to be smarter.
  • Katie1234 America... 2012/07/01 23:59:04 (edited)
    Katie1234
    prove it.
  • America... Katie1234 2012/07/02 03:34:01
  • Katie1234 America... 2012/07/03 04:34:44
    Katie1234
    i read the article, but i decided i should find out the history behind the website. the website is liberal based, which tells me some of the stuff is liberally published... plus, the author failed to mention how the study was shown. didnt tell how Kanazawa studied these people. how do they determine IQ? plus, you can't decide the IQ of somebody by their beliefs. you could be the smartest person in the world. by your beleifs i could think your an idiot. but me saying that doesn't decide your IQ, right? plus, you should've collected a whole bunch of URLs including if they are political sites, Independent, Democratic, Liberal, Republican sites.
  • America... Katie1234 2012/07/03 05:41:45
    American☆Atheist
    There are tons of site with the same thing, and remember. reality has a liberal
  • Katie1234 America... 2012/07/03 17:23:23
    Katie1234
    state the sites. AND the article
  • America... Katie1234 2012/07/05 03:10:35
  • Katie1234 America... 2012/07/06 22:48:16
    Katie1234
    uh... lol u have already posted this! can't come up with anything else?
  • America... Katie1234 2012/07/07 05:04:05
    American☆Atheist
    You still don't understand a fact, so I have to.
  • Katie1234 America... 2012/07/07 18:41:49
    Katie1234
    see, you libs could be smart... you were born with one awesome part of the head. the brain! but you guys don't think! it might actually require you to dig a little deeper. in your case, i got you cornered because you can't find any other websites that say that libs are smarter. "facts" in liberal speaking are: 'if you don't agree with my "fact" im going 2 whine, cry, kick, scream, pout.' it's simple thinking that liberals are babies.
  • America... Katie1234 2012/07/09 13:27:07
    American☆Atheist
    The part in the brain that deals with thinking critically is more active in liberals, and the part that deals with being paranoid is more active in conservatives.
  • Katie1234 America... 2012/07/09 22:38:32
    Katie1234
    XD we aren't paranoid!!! paranoid has NOTHING to do with politics! lol u guys get upset, cause us liberals take a minute to think things thru! when we come up with the truth and mention it to u dipwads u guys get all upset that u didnt take the time to figure that out, and you whine! XD
  • America... Katie1234 2012/07/09 22:42:01
    American☆Atheist
    You were talking about brains so I gave you the facts. Your truth = propaganda.

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