Study Confirms That Fox News Makes You Stupid

[CLANG]

http://www.alternet.org/media/149193/study_confirms_that_fox_news_makes_you_stupid/

Here is a list of what Fox News viewers believe that just aint so:

* 91 percent believe the stimulus legislation lost jobs
* 72 percent believe the health reform law will increase the deficit
* 72 percent believe the economy is getting worse
* 60 percent believe climate change is not occurring
* 49 percent believe income taxes have gone up
* 63 percent believe the stimulus legislation did not include any tax cuts
* 56 percent believe Obama initiated the GM/Chrysler bailout
* 38 percent believe that most Republicans opposed TARP
* 63 percent believe Obama was not born in the U.S. (or that it is unclear)

The conclusion is inescapable. Fox News is deliberately misinforming its viewers and it is doing so for a reason. Every issue above is one in which the Republican Party had a vested interest. The GOP benefited from the ignorance that Fox News helped to proliferate. The results were apparent in the election last month as voters based their decisions on demonstrably false information fed to them by Fox News.

By the way, the rest of the media was not blameless. CNN and the broadcast network news operations fared only slightly better in many cases. Even MSNBC, which had the best record of accurately informing viewers, has a ways to go before it can brag about it.

[HopeHoops]

1. You don't need a study to confirm that. All you have to do is talk to a Foxoid.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

11. doesn't work.

If you "talk" to them, and cite facts which contradict their spin, they shut their brains down. I swear, I think there's some hypnosis that affects the viewers' rational brain centers.

You cannot talk to them. Period. I had a hallow's eve party, and probably 20% of those attending love Sarah Palin and watch Fox exclusively. They gathered around me, (along with a few others) and they began blasting me, politely, for my liberal views. One would shout out an issue, and I responded with facts. As soon as I began making my argument, they would change the subject. Finally, after 10 minutes of this, one said, "OK, mr. smarty pants, I've got you. George Soros!" I was waiting, and I was ready.

I began a brief history of what Soros did, how he got to where he is today, and his actions in 1990-1995 in Eastern Europe. I showed how he personally saved the arts, culture, education, judicial systems, and basic structure of society with his Foundation, and how I proudly worked with it whenever my activities put me in contact with them in various parts of the world. I explained how Soros saved them from utter ruin, while western nations ignored their plight. I left them speechless, and two of them actually said, "Wow, all I hear is bad things about him. I had no idea. Why does Fox hate Soros?"

"Because he is liberal, and he is successful. They do that to all liberal success stories."

[HopeHoops]

15. I wasn't implying that the intent was to get THROUGH to them - just to confirm that they're ignorant

[ChairmanAgnostic]

17. but willfully so, which makes it so much worse.

It is like teaching your kids to accept creationism. (which I view as child abuse)

[HopeHoops]

19. But the Earth is only 6000 years old and Noah had dinosaurs on the ark, right?

:sarcasm:

[FrancisTreptoe]

20. Evolution is just god testing us.

:rofl:

[ChairmanAgnostic]

23. I can't wait for that new museum. Noah's Zoo!

underwritten with state tax dollars, no less!

[HopeHoops]

24. Yeah, it will only take an army of people and two years to build (not counting cost).

And the fucker won't even be able to hold two of every creature in a typical zoo. I'm sure all the "young Earth" sorts will expect to see dinosaurs on it.

[Mariana]

30. I've had the same thought after many similar experiences.

It's really very frightening to watch otherwise relatively intelligent people DO that - just shut their minds down that way. No matter what, they can find some way to dismiss/discount/ignore any facts that they don't WANT to believe.

[dennis4868]

2. tell me something i don't know...

fair and balance MY ASS!

[CLANG]

5. I didn't know that MSNBC was considered the most fair-and-balanced.

The freeper types, and even the regular msm spokesmodels continue to conflate the two as polar examples of themselves. The only real difference between the 2 is that MSNBC consciously attempts to get their facts right, while FNC consciously attempts to lie, misinform, and confuse.

[MiniMe]

3. I don't know if it makes you stupid, it make you ignorant.

Stupid usually means you can't learn it. People that watch Faux learn, they just learn the wrong information.

[lame54]

4. Here Is A Simple Equation...

[CLANG]

6. LOL - Good one!

:rofl:

[Obamanaut]

7. I watched the President this morning on TV while I was at the gym. It

was on FOX NEWS. Should I disbelieve everything I heard/saw because of the channel it was on?

[texastoast]

9. No, but you should take what they say with a grain of salt and some motion sickness medicine

That spin is killer.

[walldude]

10. Well... yes!

Yes you should, odds are good that 85-90% of what you hear is bullshit. So if you assume it's all lies you'd be right 90% of the time. :)

[Obamanaut]

12. Well shoot! I watched it, his lips were moving, it sounded like his voice, but

I'll go with your percentages of lies/bullshit and simply say "So much for hopey/changey."

[CLANG]

14. You might want to pay attention to the editing

that's where they can make BHO look bad, as the voice-over tells you more lies.

[texastoast]

21. Yeah, that's when you need the motion sickness medicine

And, that editing ability with audio equipment seems to be applied selectively at Faux.

[old mark]

8. Rec. FOX "news" used to be the channel of choice in many local Dr.'s

and hospital waiting rooms, but I noticed this morning that NONE of the rooms I waited in had FOX - one had CBS, one MSNBC!

Could this be a trend?

K&R

mark

[ChairmanAgnostic]

13. I've complained each time I go downtown

to the restaurant I visit after court. Finally, they moved to local news. No one complains about that. There were complaints about Faux.

[CLANG]

16. I couln't believe when I had my car in a few months ago - they had CNN on.

[old mark]

22. We are probably seeing the effects of that famous Obama mind control....nt

[CLANG]

27. It's getting a bit too spooky for my tastes.

:sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm:

[Spike89]

18. Nah, the stupid migrate there

Although the statistics are dismal, they really mean nothing. Especially obvious is the birther statistic--a large group of republicans are amused by the whole thing and even though they don't believe it, they like to say it. Some of those things are complex issues, or situational. A good example is the "improving economy" question. The "economy" actually can get worse every day for an unemployed person until they personally get a job, furthermore, even in a recovery, many areas, industries, and populations can actually fall deeper.
Anyway, my point isn't that Fox News viewers aren't stupid. However, just that because they say something doesn't mean they believe it. I saw an imaginary poll that showed 94% of Fox News viewers admitted lying 50% of the time, but they weren't really sure which half of what they said was the lie.

[fascisthunter]

25. more like, shit attracting flies

[RockaFowler]

26. My motto

Believe Half of what you see and none of what you hear

[Turborama]

28. K&R n/t

[drawingfool]

29. The RW Noise Machine is going into overdrive trying to spin this

A Fox Executive attacked the University of MD, where the study was held, calling it nothing more than a "party school"

That the study was funded by George Soros, the Tides foundation etc...

The thing is, even if this study was BS, its one of SEVERAL studies that show FOX viewers to be misinformed.Add to that the recent leaked memos showing FOX execs purposely misinforming viewers!