It's a tempting "I told you so..."
A new study by the Pew Research Study shows that viewers of the Daily Show and the Colbert Report have the highest knowledge of national and international affairs, while Fox News viewers rank nearly dead last:
Despite significant technology shifts, however, Pew found that “today’s citizens are about as able to name their leaders, and are about as aware of major news events, as was the public nearly 20 years ago.”
(So don't blame my generation for 'dumbing down' America.)
The results about Fox News echo findings of previous surveys. In 2003, University of Maryland researchers studied the public’s belief in three false claims — that Iraq possessed WMD, that Iraq was involved in 9/11, and that there was international support for the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.
The researchers stated, “The extent of Americans’ misperceptions vary significantly depending on their source of news. Those who receive most of their news from Fox News are more likely than average to have misperceptions.” Fox News viewers were “three times more likely than the next nearest network to hold all three misperceptions.”
Is this a problem of being an irresponsible news consumer or an irresponsible news provider? Of course, one redeeming quality of the Fox News channel is the fact they aren't the ones airing Nancy Grace. That falls squarely on the shoulders of CNN.
April 17, 2007 at 2:07 PM
Despite significant technology shifts, however, Pew found that “today’s citizens are about as able to name their leaders, and are about as aware of major news events, as was the public nearly 20 years ago.”
(So don't blame my generation for 'dumbing down' America.)
You would think that because of technology the public would/should be more aware of major news. Only problem is your generation is more concerned with myspace and american idol and not who their next president might be.
So yeah...your generation is dumbing down America. top
April 17, 2007 at 2:43 PM
Actually, I hate American Idol with a passion. Never watched, never will.
Also, I care greatly about who the next president will be. Whoever it is will have to deal with the legacy the Bush administration has left for them. I can name many of the candidates hoping for their parties nomination and who the frontrunners are for the upcoming primaries.
I do have a myspace page though. So if anything, I'm making America only 1/3 dumber.
Every new generation fails to live up to the expectations of the next generation -- but those expectation versus actual achievement might be drastically different. top
April 18, 2007 at 6:34 PM
We're not all that bad.
From the "Young Voters and the 2004 Election" study by the JFK School of Government at Harvard University ...
"Voter turnout increased sharply in 2004, reaching its highest level since the 1968 presidential election. Young adults contributed to the surge. Nearly five million young adults voted in 2004 than had done so in 200." top
April 18, 2007 at 6:37 PM
2000." top