How to become less informed

[Shakeyhands]

Is anyone here surprised by the findings of this study? No innocents but, Fox News certainly lives up to its reputation.

Watching Fox News leaves viewers less informed and more prone to believing misinformation, according to a study conducted by the WorldPublicOpinion.org at the University of Maryland.

While regular consumers of news were found to be more informed on issues surrounding the 2010 Senate elections, daily Fox viewers were significantly more likely to believe incorrect information on the economy, climate change and whether or not U.S. President Barack Obama was born in America.

Article Link

Link to Study

[Michael Hardner]

This should be of concern to everyone.

Findings

1. Perceptions of Misleading and False Information

An overwhelming majority of voters said that they encountered misleading or false information in the last election, with a majority saying that this occurred frequently and occurred more frequently than usual.

2. Evidence of Misinformation Among Voters

The poll found strong evidence that voters were substantially misinformed on many of the issues prominent in the election campaign, including the stimulus legislation, the healthcare reform law, TARP, the state of the economy, climate change, campaign contributions by the US Chamber of Commerce and President Obama’s birthplace. In particular, voters had perceptions about the expert opinion of economists and other scientists that were quite different from actual expert opinion.

3. Variations in Misinformation By Voting Behavior

There were significant differences between those who voted Democratic and Republican in the level of misinformation on various issues that were prominent in the campaign and that respondents said were important in shaping their votes.

4. Variations in Misinformation by Exposure to News Sources

Consumers of all sources of media evidenced substantial misinformation, suggesting that false or misleading information is widespread in the general information environment, just as voters say they perceive it to be. In most cases increasing exposure to news sources decreased misinformation; however, for some news sources on some issues, higher levels of exposure increased

misinformation.

I'm going to read more on this, but I think it would be very interesting to see *trends* as well.

[Michael Hardner]

Well, they could have selected more issues that reflected Democrat misinformation. I'm sure there are more issues than the few they have pointed out here.

For example, Americans may not be aware that most scientists agree that AGW is real, but they are also in the dark about exaggeration of some of the impacts of GW that have been proposed.

Misinformation is a problem that reaches across party lines, and needs to be addressed as such.

[bush_cheney2004]

...For example, Americans may not be aware that most scientists agree that AGW is real, but they are also in the dark about exaggeration of some of the impacts of GW that have been proposed.

Americans are so misinformed, yet their content and media formats proliferate around the globe. How can that be?

[Michael Hardner]

Americans are so misinformed, yet their content and media formats proliferate around the globe. How can that be?

Americans are misinformed it appears, but we still don't know how that compares to other countries. From my experiences in Canada and France, I would guess that our levels of misinformation are comparable - depending of course on how you measure it.

Now compare us to Sweden, Liberia, Pakistan and China next...

[charter.rights]

Americans are so misinformed, yet their content and media formats proliferate around the globe. How can that be?

Americans are propagandists.

[eyeball]

Americans are so misinformed, yet their content and media formats proliferate around the globe. How can that be?

Given the content and media worked its magic so well at home...

Is it working is the real question.

[dre]

Americans are so misinformed, yet their content and media formats proliferate around the globe. How can that be?

What a stupid question... The reason is the same that survivor and american idol have good world wide ratings, and Paris Hilton is a global celebrity. Why would you even have to ask?

The major American networks are smarter businesses. They realized that information doesnt sell, sensationalism sells. Bombastic editorializing and celebrity fluff.

The American companies excel at entertaining their viewers, so people tune in. But as various studies have shown entertainment and information are two different things.

Edited December 18, 2010 by dre

[bush_cheney2004]

What a stupid question... The reason is the same that survivor and american idol have good world wide ratings, and Paris Hilton is a global celebrity. Why would you even have to ask?

This means you don't have a good answer in addition to no cable television subscription!

The major American networks are smarter businesses. They realized that information doesnt sell, sensationalism sells. Bombastic editorializing and celebrity fluff.

Yet the "minor" networks still abound with "information"....for all those "less informed" Americans.

The American companies excel at entertaining their viewers, so people tune in. But as various studies have shown entertainment and information are two different things.

Yes..to the point that many Canadians are more familiar with American content than their own. For instance, they are "informed" by The Daily Show....when they have cable or internet!

[dre]

This means you don't have a good answer in addition to no cable television subscription!

Yet the "minor" networks still abound with "information"....for all those "less informed" Americans.

Yes..to the point that many Canadians are more familiar with American content than their own. For instance, they are "informed" by The Daily Show....when they have cable or internet!

This means you don't have a good answer in addition to no cable television subscription!

It was a very good answer. The objectively and undisputably correct one.

Yet the "minor" networks still abound with "information"....for all those "less informed" Americans.

Ahhh the strawman . I never said Americans were less informed. I said infotainment viewers are less informed. But yes, there are still some good information outlets in the US and youre right... theyre the smaller ones normally.

BTW... making fun of someone that has quit TV is the same as making fun of a heroin addict thats been clean for 5 years. Quite stupid.

[bush_cheney2004]

It was a very good answer. The objectively and undisputably correct one.

In your mind...of course.

Ahhh the strawman . I never said Americans were less informed. I said infotainment viewers are less informed. But yes, there are still some good information outlets in the US and youre right... theyre the smaller ones normally.

Retreating back pedal noted....Americans are less informed...except when they are not.

BTW... making fun of someone that has quit TV is the same as making fun of a heroin addict thats been clean for 5 years. Quite stupid.

I always make fun of dope addicts....stupid is as stupid does.

[dre]

In your mind...of course.

Retreating back pedal noted....Americans are less informed...except when they are not.

I always make fun of dope addicts....stupid is as stupid does.

Retreating back pedal noted....Americans are less informed...except when they are not.

No back pedal youre just lying. Honestly isnt your forte (neither is having a forte) I didnt say Americans are less informed. I dont know if they are or not.

[bush_cheney2004]

No back pedal youre just lying. Honestly isnt your forte (neither is having a forte) I didnt say Americans are less informed. I dont know if they are or not.

Yes...yes...yes...I am always lying when I disagree with your lies. Marvelous....

[dre]

Yes...yes...yes...I am always lying when I disagree with your lies. Marvelous....

No youre lying when youre lying.

Show me where I said "americans are less informed"? Go ahead... nail yourself to the wall, liar.

[Michael Hardner]

B_C may be running out of Canadians who are willing to generalize about Americans.

So, like any good repairman he's fixing the problem but also putting himself out of a job.

[bloodyminded]

B_C may be running out of Canadians who are willing to generalize about Americans.

So, like any good repairman he's fixing the problem but also putting himself out of a job.

I dunno; when people's jobs become obsolete, the more clever will try to invent a new market, for the sake of self-preservation.

B_C has assailed and mocked me for my stated appreciation of American movies!

How that fits in with "payback for anti-Americanism," as he puts it, remains slightly mysterious.

Edited December 18, 2010 by bloodyminded

[bush_cheney2004]

No youre lying when youre lying.

Show me where I said "americans are less informed"? Go ahead... nail yourself to the wall, liar.

Liar liar pants on fire...is this the game you wish to play? No need to waffle here...

[dre]

Liar liar pants on fire...is this the game you wish to play? No need to waffle here...

Im not playing any kind of game. You lied about what I said, and Im simply pointing that out. I know you lied, you know you lied, and so does everyone else that read the thread.

Its not a big deal or anything, but thats what happened.

[bush_cheney2004]

Im not playing any kind of game. You lied about what I said, and Im simply pointing that out. I know you lied, you know you lied, and so does everyone else that read the thread.

Its not a big deal or anything, but thats what happened.

...you are still playing the same game. Boring....

[dre]

...you are still playing the same game. Boring....

Its just an observation... it wasnt supposed to be fun or exciting.

[bush_cheney2004]

Its just an observation... it wasnt supposed to be fun or exciting.

This is not about you or me...the Americans will carry on regardless of your clumsy estimations from afar.

[Moonlight Graham]

Well, they could have selected more issues that reflected Democrat misinformation. I'm sure there are more issues than the few they have pointed out here.

For example, Americans may not be aware that most scientists agree that AGW is real, but they are also in the dark about exaggeration of some of the impacts of GW that have been proposed.

Misinformation is a problem that reaches across party lines, and needs to be addressed as such.

Misinformation reaches across country borders also. I'd like to see a study comparing how informed Americans are generally compared to other developed countries. Canadians aren't a shining beacon of non-ignorance. Voter turnout was only 58.8% in the 2008 federal election, an all-time low.

As far as the U.S., Fox News has certainly not helped people to be exposed to the truth, but rather what they want to hear. People who would expose themselves Fox News in any significantly capacity have intelligence problems to begin with, and watching such garbage just makes the problem worse.

[Shwa]

I dunno; when people's jobs become obsolete, the more clever will try to invent a new market, for the sake of self-preservation.

B_C has assailed and mocked me for my stated appreciation of American movies!

How that fits in with "payback for anti-Americanism," as he puts it, remains slightly mysterious.

It won't be long before Dre is on his ignore list. Post-count chum isn't worth the time when it exposes the big, bad shark to actually be nothing more than a tootless sardine.

[bush_cheney2004]

It won't be long before Dre is on his ignore list. Post-count chum isn't worth the time when it exposes the big, bad shark to actually be nothing more than a tootless sardine.

The "big bad shark" doesn't have anyone on an ignore list, unlike some of the lampreys around here.

Edited December 19, 2010 by bush_cheney2004

[eyeball]

Misinformation reaches across country borders also. I'd like to see a study comparing how informed Americans are generally compared to other developed countries. Canadians aren't a shining beacon of non-ignorance. Voter turnout was only 58.8% in the 2008 federal election, an all-time low.

Since when did voter turnout equate with non-ignorance? It seems to me that the decision to stop banging one's head against a wall is a mark of intelligence.

By your logic North Korea with it's 99% voter turnout should be the most advanced and enlightened country on the planet.