Thanks for the article correlating News viewing habits with misconceptions. Without knowing more about their methodology (e.g. the exact phrasing of the questions), it is hard to critique the article. But I would like to comment on an obvious selection effect. While the article implied there might be a causal relationship between the type and slant of the news being presented, and the found misconceptions, I believe the selection effect could be at least as important. Even if I wanted to watch Faux News, I can't except for the briefest of times. A strong gagging response, and a dangerous rise in blood pressure, preclude the possibility. A similar effect (although milder) may lie behind much of these findings - i.e. people, in their TV viewing habits, will tend to migrate to a channel where they are "comfortable". If you already have a memeset that gives complete allegiance to the Bush Admin, you will be uncomfortable viewing news stories that challenge your denial mechanisms. Hence, rather than causing the observed misconceptions, the viewing habits may be more reinforcing them.
Also, I found the comments on the network news programs interesting. As I frequently do, I watched all three last night. My observation is that they fluctuate in their quality. While there is certainly more "in depth" coverage now than there was a few months ago, sometimes that's like comparing the comatose with the dead. It varies from day to day, but last night CBS was by far the better show. Their Bush coverage was "hard hitting", but factual (these days, given events, that amounts to the same thing). I even liked their brief "tidbit" coverage of such things as the proposal to have TVs on domestic airline flight so "Homeland Security" could be constantly viewing passengers and flight crew (I suppose the bathroom cameras would be surreptitious).
news.xinhuanet.com
NBC was much better last night than they had been the previous night, when they failed to give the motivation behind the riots in Iraq. But as I said, I find that all of the network news programs fluctuate in quality. ABC was a flop last night. Not only was their depth of coverage anemic, they spent an unbelievable huge amount of time on a "puff piece" about Laura Bush. Maybe they are trying to avoid the threatened legal suit from "Homeland Security".
JMO
lurqer |
