NEW POLL BY IFC & ZOGBY REVEALS AMERICANS
OVERWHELMINGLY DISTRUST THE NEWS MEDIA
OVERWHELMINGLY DISTRUST THE NEWS MEDIA
A new study conducted by IFC (Independent Film Channel) and Zogby International
to gauge Americans’
attitudes towards the news media reveals that, despite Americans’ having access to more news sources than ever
before, they do not necessarily consider those sources to be reliable. In addition, the majority of respondents
agreed that the media coverage of the Presidential election influenced the outcome.
The poll surveyed 3,472 adults nationwide on November 5 and 6, 2008. Of those surveyed, 38% aligned
themselves with the Democratic Party, 31% with the Republican Party and 28% considered themselves
independent.
attitudes towards the news media reveals that, despite Americans’ having access to more news sources than ever
before, they do not necessarily consider those sources to be reliable. In addition, the majority of respondents
agreed that the media coverage of the Presidential election influenced the outcome.
The poll surveyed 3,472 adults nationwide on November 5 and 6, 2008. Of those surveyed, 38% aligned
themselves with the Democratic Party, 31% with the Republican Party and 28% considered themselves
independent.
Key Findings:
·
Of those surveyed, 72.6% said they believe the news they read and see is biased.
–
88.7% of Republican and 57.5% of Democrat respondents describe the media as biased.
–
By gender 77% of Males and 67% of Females find the news biased.
–
Specific demographics found:
Among 1824
year olds 70.3% found the news media to be biased
Among 2534
year olds 74.2% found the news media to be biased
Among 3554
year olds 73.1 % found the news media to be biased
Among 5569
year olds 72.7 % found the news media to be biased
Among 70 plus year olds 66.7% found the news media to be biased
Among 1824
year olds 70.3% found the news media to be biased
Among 2534
year olds 74.2% found the news media to be biased
Among 3554
year olds 73.1 % found the news media to be biased
Among 5569
year olds 72.7 % found the news media to be biased
Among 70 plus year olds 66.7% found the news media to be biased
·
74.8% of respondents agreed that media coverage of the Presidential election influenced the outcome.
–
94.2% of Republicans surveyed and 55.6% of Democrats surveyed believe media coverage
influenced the Presidential election.
influenced the Presidential election.
–
Overall, 93.9% of those surveyed believe Barack Obama received more attention from the media
than John McCain. Only 4.1% believe McCain received more attention than Obama.
than John McCain. Only 4.1% believe McCain received more attention than Obama.
·
Nearly 80% of respondents consider national television news to be unreliable and 84% consider radio to
be unreliable.
be unreliable.
·
According to 37.6% of those surveyed, news sources on the Internet are considered to be the most
reliable.
reliable.
·
When asked who respondents felt was the most trusted news personality, no clear frontrunner emerged.
–
14.2% of Democrats polled consider Keith Olbermann of MSNBC to be the most trusted while
29.2% of Republicans surveyed consider Rush Limbaugh to be the most trusted.
29.2% of Republicans surveyed consider Rush Limbaugh to be the most trusted.
·
81.9 % of Republicans surveyed trust FOX News most for the issues they consider most important.
Democrats were split, with 30.3% choosing MSNBC and 26.2% choosing CNN as the networks they trust
most for the issues they consider most important.
Democrats were split, with 30.3% choosing MSNBC and 26.2% choosing CNN as the networks they trust
most for the issues they consider most important.
·
Overall, 73.2% of respondents say they do not think the media is giving them a true representation of
what is happening in Iraq.
what is happening in Iraq.
–
More than 90% of Republicans and 55.6% of Democrats do not feel the media is giving a true
representation of what is going on in Iraq.
Zogby International was commissioned by IFC to conduct an online survey of 3,472 adults. A sampling of Zogby
International's online panel, which is representative of the adult population of the U.S., was invited to participate.
Slight weights were added to region, party, age, race, religion, gender, education to more accurately reflect the
population. The margin of error is +/1.7
percentage points. Margins of error are higher in subgroups.
Those
surveyed were evenly divided from across the U.S. by region, including east (22%), south (26%), center/Great
Lakes (30%) and west (22%). Nearly all (99.6%) were registered to vote, of those 99.7% voted in the 2008
presidential election. Fiftythree
percent of those surveyed said they voted for Barack Obama and 46% said they
representation of what is going on in Iraq.
Zogby International was commissioned by IFC to conduct an online survey of 3,472 adults. A sampling of Zogby
International's online panel, which is representative of the adult population of the U.S., was invited to participate.
Slight weights were added to region, party, age, race, religion, gender, education to more accurately reflect the
population. The margin of error is +/1.7
percentage points. Margins of error are higher in subgroups.
Those
surveyed were evenly divided from across the U.S. by region, including east (22%), south (26%), center/Great
Lakes (30%) and west (22%). Nearly all (99.6%) were registered to vote, of those 99.7% voted in the 2008
presidential election. Fiftythree
percent of those surveyed said they voted for Barack Obama and 46% said they
voted for John McCain.
http://www.ifc.com/static/img/series/mediaproject/media_project_poll.pdf
Yet somehow Americans still lap it up.I think this behavior is some form of mental illness.
Poll is overweight to the democrats to boot.
Foxnews most trusted of the group...lol
Not the clear picture of Iraq????? Weird?
ointer: SOme people are and will always remain clueless. Congrats Doc Mercer, you take the cake.
