University of Maryland study : Foxnews viewers ignorant about Iraq war

tree: You took psych, so should know the comparative value of one subjective opinion vs. accumulated data. I will, honestly, give Fox more viewing. I did watch them some during the early days of the war, and to be honset, while there was a difference, it wasn't that major...but to be fair, pretty much all of the stations then were extremely wary of saying anything remotely critical, and it tended to be a round of America The Beautiful on whatever US channel you happened to turn. But honestly even were I to agree with you, ( again, not saying I do...haven't checked...) what would our two limited opinions matter when stacked against the only possible conclusion you can come away from this data believing. Especially, and you keep avoiding this part, the fact that there is a higher correlation between the more you watch FOX and the more you belive these untruths.

The simplest explanation...


And re: the study group...I don't see the problem at all. For one thing, when I was studying Psych, all 1st year students were required to be subjects in at least 3 studies...so that's thousands right there. Old people tend to A) be very loyal to one station, and B) willing to talk about it. Etc. I don't see the problem at all...and if you read the study, youhave to believe that their study source was what they say it is or call them liars. I would be reluctant to do that, especially when you see how much paperwork and department overseeing studies undergo today. I think that, rather than trying to argue with how they got their results, it would serve you better to address the results, their implications, and what it might mean about Fox, the War, whatever.


But I will try and pay more attention to Fox.

 

Tree, there's a simple response to this: bias.


Point one...and I thinj you'll conced this: FOX is much more conservative and pro-Bush than other stations, correct? Honestly, I doubt we disagree on this much.

Point two...and again, I assume that we agree...other stations, to varying degrees, are less conservative and pro-Bush. Agreed again?

Okay...assume that the message, the misleading is coming from Bush...( Don't have to believe it, just follow the argument to see why your rebuttle of Batman is easily turned aside)...which stations are more likely to present is as factual...to back it up...to treat it as the final word....and which stations are more likely to challenge Bush's claims...to cut from him speaking to 'experts' who point out the flaws in his speech, argument, etc?

In other words, which station, of all the major stations in the US, is the most likely to present Bush's argument clearly and with the least resistence...and by extension, to mislead...than Fox?

This does not mean you HAVE to conclude that Bsuh was the one doing the misleading...personally, I think it's pretty clear, and pretty undeniable, but I know that you'll never agree to that, so for the sake of discussion, do you see how not all stations present what Bush says in the same manner...and the fact that the ones which present him the most favorably...which endorse his positions the most readily...are also the ones which are the most misled...and that the mileadings are all in the exact same direction; ie in a manner which would lead one to support the war...well, think about it.

Honestly, I think that, whatever your pride and political leanings, that someone like you who has made a hell of a lot more of a sacrifice than Bush ever did...that risked more than he ever will...who has backed up his beliefs with his butt...honestly, tree...if you ever do see ( as I honestly believe to be true) that this President has used and misled us...maybe for what he and those around him thought was best, maybe for what was best for him and those around him, maybe for a combination of the two, but either way, NOT the way this country is supposed to operate...if you ever do see that, I would think that you would have as much cause or mare than most of us to be furious and betrayed. But that's just my 2 cents worth...

 

Don't own a TV but house sat and watched a lot of Fox/CNN/MSNBC pre and during Gulf War 2 and the difference was pretty striking. Fox was like the Ministry of Truth. More WMD finds by Fox than any other news source! However all the foreign TV news seemed much more balanced in actually showing different viewpoints than any of the American coverage.