University of Maryland Official: Fox News Response To Misinformation Report 'Bizarre'
December 20, 2010 4:32 pm ET by Joe Strupp
A top professor at the University of Maryland School for Public Policy, which released a scathing report last week ranking Fox News a leading source of misinformation, said the network's response to the report was "bizarre."
Prof. I.M. Distler is on the advisory board of WorldPublicOpinion.org, which released the report titled, "Misinformation on the 2010 Election: A Study of the U.S. Electorate."
Among its findings:
Those who watched Fox News almost daily were significantly more likely than those who never watched it to believe that:
* Most economists estimate the stimulus caused job losses.
* Most economists have estimated the health care law will worsen the deficit.
* The economy is getting worse.
* Most scientists do not agree that climate change is occurring.
* The stimulus legislation did not include any tax cuts.
* Their own income taxes have gone up.
* The auto bailout only occurred under Obama.
* When TARP came up for a vote most Republicans opposed it.
* And that it is not clear that Obama was born in the United States.
These effects increased incrementally with increasing levels of exposure and all were statistically significant. The effect was also not simply a function of partisan bias, as people who voted Democratic and watched Fox News were also more likely to have such misinformation than those who did not watch it -- though by a lesser margin than those who voted Republican.
The New York Times reported that the report found, among other things, "regular viewers of the Fox News Channel, which tilts to the right in prime time, were significantly more likely to believe untruths about the Democratic health care overhaul, climate change and other subjects."
But when the Times asked Fox News for reaction to the survey, Michael Clemente, Fox senior vice president of news editorial, said in a statement:
The latest Princeton Review ranked the University of Maryland among the top schools for having 'Students Who Study The Least' and being the 'Best Party School' - given these fine academic distinctions, we'll regard the study with the same level of veracity it was 'researched' with."
Distler called the response "bizarre" and "irrelevant."
"That was bizarre. It's a silly response," Distler told Media Matters Monday. "At least that particular [Fox] spokesman chose not to challenge the study on its merits but to make an essentially irrelevant criticism of the university. And probably a dubious criticism of the university."
Distler added, "I thought it was interesting that they didn't say the report is based on a bad sample or the questions were the wrong questions, they try to characterize the place as a party school. Whether or not that is true, it has nothing to do with what scholars and analysts associated with the university do. It is totally irrelevant."
Distler went on to point out what he believed were key elements of the findings as relates to Fox News coverage of certain issues.
"The stuff to me that is most amazing is about the stimulus, that more people think it hasn't worked than people think it has," Distler said. "But the fact that you pour all that money into the economy and it doesn't make a difference is not very plausible."
Asked what part Fox had in that viewpoint, he said, "Fox is among those who are active in promoting critical views of the administration and they have a substantial audience so I am sure they play a role.
"Like a lot of people, I think it is unfortunate that the sort of advocacy journalism in which a network seems to believe it must push a certain point of view rather than tell it straight is troublesome and Fox has been the most successful in following this particular mode, that's a problem."
Distler also pointed to Fox's part in climate change misinformation: "There is clearly a consensus that climate change is going on and the prospects are that it will accelerate in the future if further action isn't taken. The notion that there isn't a consensus is wrong. If the media is where a lot of people get their information from, the media must be responsible."
"I think Fox is by general consent the leading and most successful practitioner of that sort of news reporting with a point of view. Opinion journalism is very important, but the problem is blurring the line between [news and opinion]."
Fox News did not respond to requests for comment Monday.
Ever notice that when O'Reilly is criticized, he never refutes the claim, he just attacks the ratings of those making it.
Meh, probably only off by a factor of 30 or 40 times, but who's counting?
He's got nothing more than a "kill the messenger" comeback, and a pretty sorry one at that, trying to discredit the researchers at a university by deflecting to an unspecified survey of the students.
Besides that, what the hell is wrong with a party school where the students don't study as much as others? It's just as likely that this shows they're brighter kids who knock out the studying efficiently and get down to partying.
The typical Fox viewer probably studies as hard at getting their shoes on the right feet as others might for a mid-term.
Very fitting that the spokesman for an organization that depends so heavily on logical fallacies responds to having their propaganda pointed out with another logical fallacy.
It suits them.
They use tried and true methods of proganda:
-repeat the talking point constantly e.g. " death panels"
-get other co-pragandists to repeat.e.g. Rush, Hannnity, Beck. O'Riley, Doucey. Gretchen.
-quote your own channel without revealing the source e.g. some news stations are reporting that there are death panesl
-never admit you are wrong..e.g. O'Riley and Doucey denied that Fox ever said there were death panels.
-use coded language that has meaning to your viewer i.e. liberty, freedom, government take over, etc..
-use language that is emotionally inflamatory even if used incorrectly e.g.fascism, nazis, marxist.
-if exposed by other organizations simply drop the story and start new ones.
The reality is Fox is simply pretend news with GOP and right wing talking points inserted. There leader, Rodger Ailes, is GOP consultant: their staff is made up of GOP supporters and members e.g. Huckabee, Palin, Rove, etc...
Growing up we use to make fun of Soviet Pravda as a propaganda tool. i guess we are coming full circle.
A free and a resonably unbiased press is central to a democracy. Fox is not intune with this need. They are corporation /lobbyist driven misinformation machine. They promote corporations over citizens.
The Tea Party is another group that they are in collusion with. Astro turf movement, corporate owned, fake anger, all brought to you by the people and Fox and Koch industries.
Rant....out
"Hawkey" was a notorious "party animal" until he entered Parliament - at Oxford he set a new world record for drinking a "yard" of ale in addition to a "half blue" for cricket and serving in the University RAF Squadron (qualifying as a pilot).
As to swotting over books, many students find that an overemphasis on formal study is actually detrimental to effective learning - I recall learning at an early age that the time spent in the refectory was just as, if not more, important as time spent in the library. Too much time at the books doesn't leave enough time for the mind to absorb and develop.
University life without the parties is almost as wasteful as university life without the study.
And for the record: I know from personal experience that, whatever UM may or (in fact) not be as an undergraduate institution, I know from personal experience that the University of Maryland School for Public Policy, a graduate department, is definitively not a party school and I. M. Destler is one of the finest professors to walk the Earth.
Bottom line is these data proves the University of Maryland and the World of Public Opinion have a "hidden" agenda of putting Fox News and its viewers down. Then again, I'm hardly surprised that leftists are condescending high-browed snobs. They always have been.
The good news is less then 20% of Americans are liberal. The rest of us normal.
If by normal you mean just plain stupid and making the USA a third world country then you're correct.
I'll take a smart snob over dumb neocon like you everyday of the week.
Tell us the Republican alternative in the face of double digit rate increases each year of the past decade.
Is the deficit is important to you why the repeat giveaway of several hundred thousand a year to the likes of Oprah,Tom Brady, Bill Gates and the list goes on.
You have some nerve calling Leftist's condescending. You are a PRO at that gimmick and you know it. So if you want to dish it you'd better eat it. I bet you consider yourself pretty clever while jousting at this site. No question I detect some intelligence in your posts. Fortunately for all us "Sheepies" (that's one of yours, yes?) most of your brain doesn't get to see the sunshine too much.
Well, I just handed this to you on a platter. Now do your thing.
More classy comments from the left. Although such trash does reveal how sick and twisted Lefties are.
BRW, I'm on record as no Beck follower. I think he goes way too far. To the point he actually hurts the conservative movement.
2BTW, I never use "sheeple". I use lemmings to describe the naive leftists group thought.
3BTW, you can't use my brain dysfunction descriptions without my permission. This is mine. Plagiarism is not allowed.
Just for the record, I'm a registered Independent.
-- 911 BILL
-- START
-- DADT
Do you consider these bills liberal or "normal"? And for the sake of all us "SHEEPIES", try to be "pithy" with your response and corral the hyperbole.
START - Sneaky for the democrats to get this passed with a lame duck congress - after it sat on their shelf for months. I am OK with reduction of our nuclear weapons as long as Russia does the same. And we should NOT agree to never be able to develop a missile defense system - we may need it in the future.
DADT - See above regarding the sneaky democrat congress and president signing this with a lame duck congress. As to the policy of gays serving I care less about this as long as they serve the same as everybody else in our military. And not make any passes on their fellow soldiers. I had a few solicit me when I was in the Navy. No big deal to me. I just told 'em no thanks.
In general though I think it's shameful the Democrat controlled Congress is passing laws as lame ducks. This is sneaky. I don't recall other congresses doing the same in the past. Then again, this Congress is considered the worst EVER by a lot of experts.
Boehner, bawling on 60 minutes because he can't face children in schools because he's so ashamed they supposedly won't get the same opportunity as this phony had, CAN'T use the word compromise. Pathetic.
Now who is being "sneaky?" I'd say that's Un-American.
How ironic. The Republican's have stopped at nothing to block, stop or destroy everything this Administration has attempted to ameliorate and improve for the current state of this country.
Are you a millionaire, OMG? Billionaire? If you happen to be in either category I can understand your frustration. Those sweet Bush tax cuts could have evaporated. If you're not rich then I just don't get it. The Republican's in Congress care about their fat cat friends. Not the middle class. They did hold the American people "hostage." By the way, Reagan and Bush 41 both used the same word against Democrats; FOX once again has amnesia about this.
It took Bush 43 eight years to screw up America. At least give Obama another two to right the wrong.
1 - the Ben and Jerry's Foundation (Not leftist at all)
2 - the Ploughshares Fund (anti-nuclear group)
3 - the United Stated Institute of Peace
4 - the Tides Foundation (and we all know who gives them money, Soros)
Who would have guessed that the "report" would be anti- FOX. LOL