Pew Research Center Poll: Fox News Viewed as Most Ideological Network

[one...two...tree 2,762]

The Fox News Channel is viewed by Americans in more ideological terms than other television news networks. And while the public is evenly divided in its view of hosts of cable news programs having strong political opinions, more Fox News viewers see this as a good thing than as a bad thing.

Nearly half of Americans (47%) say they think of Fox News as "mostly conservative," 14% say it is "mostly liberal," and 24% say it is "neither in particular." Opinion about the ideological orientation of other TV news outlets is more mixed: while many view CNN and the three broadcast networks as mostly liberal, about the same percentages say they are neither in particular. However, somewhat more say MSNBC is mostly liberal than say it is neither in particular, by 36% to 27%.

The perceptions of those who regularly tune into these news networks are similar to those of the public. Nearly half (48%) of regular Fox viewers say the network is mostly conservative. About four-in-ten (41%) regular viewers of CNN describe the network as mostly liberal and 36% of regular MSNBC viewers say the same about that network.

The latest weekly News Interest Index survey, conducted October 23-26 among 1,001 adults by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, also shows that Americans followed news about the spread of the swine flu and the availability of a vaccine more closely than any other major news story last week. And the percentage of Americans saying they followed swine flu news very closely (43%) now matches the highest levels of interest reached during the previous flu outbreak in May.

The survey also finds the public is evenly split in its view of cable news hosts "having strong opinions about politics." About four-in-ten (42%) see this as a good thing while an identical percentage sees it as a bad thing. By 51% to 36%, regular Fox News viewers view cable hosts with strong political opinions as a good thing; regular viewers of other TV news outlets are more evenly divided over opinionated cable news hosts.

More Fox Viewers See Other Networks as Liberal

The perception of Fox News as mostly conservative is shared equally by regular Fox News viewers and regular viewers of other TV news networks. Half of regular CNN viewers see the Fox News Channel as mostly conservative, as do 48% its own viewers, 48% of regular MSNBC viewers and 45% of the regular viewers of national nightly network news on ABC, NBC and CBS.

By contrast, regular Fox News viewers are more likely than those who tune into other news networks to see those networks as mostly liberal. For instance, 50% of regular Fox News viewers say NBC News is mostly liberal, compared with only about third of regular viewers of CNN (35%), MSNBC (31%) and the nightly network news (34%). There are comparable differences between how Fox News viewers and other news audiences see the ideologies of CBS News and ABC News.

Nearly half of Fox News viewers also say that CNN (49%) and MSNBC (47%) are mostly liberal. However, nearly as many CNN viewers (41%) say that network is mostly liberal; similarly, 43% of regular MSNBC viewers say that network is mostly liberal.

Views of the networks' ideologies also differ greatly by personal ideology. More than half of liberals (57%) say Fox News is mostly conservative, compared with 46% of moderates and 44% of conservatives.

By contrast, 48% of conservatives say that MSNBC is mostly liberal, compared with 31% of moderates and 29% of liberals. These are similar to views of CNN: 51% of conservatives say the network is mostly liberal, while 33% of moderates and 28% of liberals agree. There are comparable ideological differences in perceptions of the ideologies of NBC News, ABC News and CBS News.

http://people-press.org/report/559/

[Peikko 1,575]

[Heracles 417]

Well in all fairness the above does justify the existence of Fox. It also illustrates what conservatives have been saying for years, that the other stations and left leaning.

People clearly do not accept or comprehend that just like MSNBC has UberDouchemann and rug muncher, fox has segments were individuals talk about their conservative views.

After all, the US does not actually have a 24/7 news channel like Sky news, Russia today, France 24, AlJazerra etc.

Edited October 30, 2009 by Booyah!

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

14% think Fixed News is mostly liberal? Did they poll Joe and his folk?

[SMR 368]

Look at the graph. 5 networks that are viewed as more liberal by a factor of 2 and 3 to 1. One network that is viewed as more conservative by a factor of 3 to 1.

If you want an example of biased reporting, then look at the title of this thread. The thread title could just as easily read, 5/6 major news networks seen as liberally biased. This title, while true, could also been seen as biased. Point is, news is always biased. You have to chose what to report and what to emphasize, and that constitutes a bias.

Actually, the data doesn't even support the thread title. The data states that more people think Fox News is ideological. That is different than thinking that Fox is more ideological (the data is about a question that was asked about each network individually. The thread title implies that responders were asked to compare network ideology, which wasn't the case).

[Peikko 1,575]

It's a stupid poll for stupid people.

[Ban Hammer 14,666]

one against five, and let's complain about that one.

[Joseph & Ana 0]

They want conservatives silenced so they can live in their liberal utopia.

[Peikko 1,575]

The only issue that might be of importance is the one Oliver brought up yesterday. I personally don't know enough about it to comment on whether that has occurred or not.

News has bias, and it is good to have a spectrum of new bias coverage (and to read/listen to a broad spectrum of coverage) available. What I find odd is this insistence that tv news has much substance at all but that's another issue entirely.

They want conservatives silenced so they can live in their liberal utopia.

Who is 'they'? Personally, I do not want that at all. I would like there to be a broad spectrum of approaches but I would prefer to see more depth of both investigation and coverage on a range of topics.

[Joseph & Ana 0]

They want conservatives silenced so they can live in their liberal utopia.

Who is 'they'? Personally, I do not want that at all. I would like there to be a broad spectrum of approaches but I would prefer to see more depth of both investigation and coverage on a range of topics.

I didn't say Madame Cleo..

[one...two...tree 2,762]

They want conservatives silenced so they can live in their liberal utopia.

I can't speak for the millions of other librul scum out there, but I would just like Fox News to get rid of their "Fair & Balanced" claim since we all know it's a lie.

[Joseph & Ana 0]

They want conservatives silenced so they can live in their liberal utopia.

I can't speak for the millions of other librul scum out there, but I would just like Fox News to get rid of their "Fair & Balanced" claim since we all know it's a lie.

If we all know its a lie, then who cares?

[one...two...tree 2,762]

They want conservatives silenced so they can live in their liberal utopia.

I can't speak for the millions of other librul scum out there, but I would just like Fox News to get rid of their "Fair & Balanced" claim since we all know it's a lie.

If we all know its a lie, then who cares?

If only other Right Wingers were as honest as you. Many here have argued up and down that Fox News is Fair & Balanced. Maybe you're the new blood that will bring back some honesty and integrity to the Right Wingers here on VJ.

[nowhereman 1]

The poll numbers (about all of the networks) are very believable. However the title of the thread is misleading because the poll doesn't focus particularly on Fox News & the perceived bias of Fox News is within a few percentage points of the other networks (just right leaning instead of left leaning). However what jumped out at me is that none of the networks were considered neutral by a majority of viewers.

[Peikko 1,575]

Nor should they be, because they are not neutral. What is important is that despite whatever bias they have, their pieces are long on facts and short on opinion.