Poll: Fox News is now "The Most Trusted Name" in News.

[Soul Crusher]

Fox: The Most Trusted Name in News
Posted by James Poniewozik Tuesday, January 26, 2010 at 5:09 pm
9 Comments • Trackback (3) • Related Topics: news media tv news , fox news, polls
www.time.com
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OK, before the representatives of CNN and Media Matters shoot me e-mails, and Keith Olbermann names me The Worst Person in the World: Yes, I wrote the headline, but I didn't take the poll on which it is based. Public Policy Polling surveyed Americans on which TV news operations they trust most and found that Fox News is the only outfit trusted by more people than distrust it.

 The complete poll results are here, and as you'd expect, politics come into play. In broad terms, conservatives and Republicans are more intense and united in their opinions of TV news than moderates and liberals. They trust Fox, and mistrust everyone else, more uniformly than the other groups mistrust Fox and trust everyone else. Likewise, in reverse, for news organizations other than Fox, which conservatives mistrust intensely and across the board. Conviction, passionate intensity, &c.

Because we are talking the media and politics, and this is the Internet, someone is probably about to ask if the poll is a conservative setup. PPP, in fact, is a mainly Democratic-affiliated polling firm. Its conclusions, however, do put a bit of a what-is-this-world-coming-to spin on the results:

A generation ago Walter Cronkite was the most trusted man in the country because of his neutrality. Now people trust Fox the most precisely because of its lack of neutrality. It says a lot about where journalism is headed.

Without defending Fox News per se, I don't think this is exactly right. (Likewise, I know some of you don't think Cronkite was neutral, either. Leaving that aside.) Rather, I think the poll results are indicative of what we saw in a Pew poll about media bias from last year. In it, fans of Fox News were more likely to see some type of political bias in all TV news outlets.

I think what we're seeing here is that Fox viewers are more likely to believe that all news outlets are biased—and either they don't mind it, or they at least accept that such is the way of the world. And they either simply prefer to watch a channel they see as being biased in their direction, or they believe it is a necessary counterbalance to the (unacknowledged) liberal bias of all other TV news, or they believe other channels are hypocrites for denying being biased, or all of the above. Whereas the rest of the news audience either still sees neutrality as possible, or at least still values it as an ideal.

Which group is right? That's a whole other blog post. But I trust that some of you have opinions.

Read more: http://tunedin.blogs.time.com/2010/01/26/fox-the-most-trusted-name-in-news/#ixzz0dpbDE2Ql


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They have the hottest chicks!  Of course I trust them. 

[MCWAY]

Fox: The Most Trusted Name in News
Posted by James Poniewozik Tuesday, January 26, 2010 at 5:09 pm
9 Comments • Trackback (3) • Related Topics: news media tv news , fox news, polls
www.time.com
________________________ ________________________ ___________

OK, before the representatives of CNN and Media Matters shoot me e-mails, and Keith Olbermann names me The Worst Person in the World: Yes, I wrote the headline, but I didn't take the poll on which it is based. Public Policy Polling surveyed Americans on which TV news operations they trust most and found that Fox News is the only outfit trusted by more people than distrust it.

 The complete poll results are here, and as you'd expect, politics come into play. In broad terms, conservatives and Republicans are more intense and united in their opinions of TV news than moderates and liberals. They trust Fox, and mistrust everyone else, more uniformly than the other groups mistrust Fox and trust everyone else. Likewise, in reverse, for news organizations other than Fox, which conservatives mistrust intensely and across the board. Conviction, passionate intensity, &c.

Because we are talking the media and politics, and this is the Internet, someone is probably about to ask if the poll is a conservative setup. PPP, in fact, is a mainly Democratic-affiliated polling firm. Its conclusions, however, do put a bit of a what-is-this-world-coming-to spin on the results:

A generation ago Walter Cronkite was the most trusted man in the country because of his neutrality. Now people trust Fox the most precisely because of its lack of neutrality. It says a lot about where journalism is headed.

Without defending Fox News per se, I don't think this is exactly right. (Likewise, I know some of you don't think Cronkite was neutral, either. Leaving that aside.) Rather, I think the poll results are indicative of what we saw in a Pew poll about media bias from last year. In it, fans of Fox News were more likely to see some type of political bias in all TV news outlets.

I think what we're seeing here is that Fox viewers are more likely to believe that all news outlets are biased—and either they don't mind it, or they at least accept that such is the way of the world. And they either simply prefer to watch a channel they see as being biased in their direction, or they believe it is a necessary counterbalance to the (unacknowledged) liberal bias of all other TV news, or they believe other channels are hypocrites for denying being biased, or all of the above. Whereas the rest of the news audience either still sees neutrality as possible, or at least still values it as an ideal.

Which group is right? That's a whole other blog post. But I trust that some of you have opinions.

Read more: http://tunedin.blogs.time.com/2010/01/26/fox-the-most-trusted-name-in-news/#ixzz0dpbDE2Ql


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They have the hottest chicks!  Of course I trust them. 

Harris Faulkner, Kimberly Guifoyle, Gretchen Carlson.....It's called "FOX" News for a reason.

[Soul Crusher]

Here is why Fox News get the ratings:

Check out this Glen Beck clip. 

He is a master entertainer.  This is great viewing by any measure.   

http://www.mediaite.com/online/this-might-be-the-best-fifteen-minutes-of-glenn-beck-ever/

[kcballer]

Entertaining yes, informative and unbiased? No freaking way. 

But hey it's TV.  It's about entertaining the masses and slipping in some truth here and there. 

[Soul Crusher]

Entertaining yes, informative and unbiased? No freaking way. 

But hey it's TV.  It's about entertaining the masses and slipping in some truth here and there. 

KC - even you will find this amazingly entertaining.

Beck talks about the stim bill.  Oh man he is hysterical.   

http://www.mediaite.com/online/this-might-be-the-best-fifteen-minutes-of-glenn-beck-ever/

[Al Doggity]

Just from the headline, even before reading the first word of the story, anyone with common sense could tell you what the gist of the poll numbers was:

In broad terms, conservatives and Republicans are more intense and united in their opinions of TV news than moderates and liberals. They trust Fox, and mistrust everyone else, more uniformly than the other groups mistrust Fox and trust everyone else. Likewise, in reverse, for news organizations other than Fox, which conservatives mistrust intensely and across the board.

You can interpret the poll in other ways, but none of those interpretations should necessarily be a reflection on their credibility.

[Soul Crusher]

Just from the headline, even before reading the first word of the story, anyone with common sense could tell you what the gist of the poll numbers was:

You can interpret the poll in other ways, but none of those interpretations should necessarily be a reflection on their credibility.

Come on Al - this is pure brilliance in broadcasting.

[BM OUT]

Its always funny that libs say "FOX is only entertainment".However,lib crap networks are very serious.The CNNs,MSNBCs,CBSs,ABCs,New York Times,yes,those are very serious and thoughtfull.Why? Because they pump a liberal view and therefore libs say those are legit.Sorry,the rest of the country dissagrees with you.

[Al Doggity]

Come on Al - this is pure brilliance in broadcasting.

C'mon what?    Regardless of whether or not it's "pure brilliance in broadcasting", whether or not you trust it depends largely on your political philosophy.

Billy, do you realize 333 is the main one in this thread arguing that Fox news is entertaining?

[Soul Crusher]

Why not - to the left - MSNBC is entertaining as well. 

I dont watch Fox News for information.  I read WSJ, Bloomberg, HP, RCP, Business Insider, etc. 

Cable News is more commentary on the news now than anything.

For hard news and actual reporting, I think CNN probably does the best job overall.   

[Al Doggity]

Why not - to the left - MSNBC is entertaining as well. 

I dont watch Fox News for information.  I read WSJ, Bloomberg, HP, RCP, Business Insider, etc. 

Cable News is more commentary on the news now than anything.

For hard news and actual reporting, I think CNN probably does the best job overall.   

YOU are the one who posted the poll crowing about how Fox is the  most trusted name in news. I'm just pointing out the caveats  of the poll, as highlighted in the article you posted. I didn't say anything about entertainment value or the relative credibility of any other television news outlet.

[BM OUT]

YOU are the one who posted the poll crowing about how Fox is the  most trusted name in news. I'm just pointing out the caveats  of the poll, as highlighted in the article you posted. I didn't say anything about entertainment value or the relative credibility of any other television news outlet.

Whats wrong with being entertaining AND informative?Perhaps if Air America could have done EITHER they would still be in buisiness.

[blacken700]

i think your right cnn is the best place to get the news out of msnbc fox or cnn

[James]

Here is why Fox News get the ratings:

Check out this Glen Beck clip.

He is a master entertainer.  This is great viewing by any measure.   

http://www.mediaite.com/online/this-might-be-the-best-fifteen-minutes-of-glenn-beck-ever/

Great Video !

[Soul Crusher]

Great Video !

That truly was a masterful performance by Beck.