TV News Audiences Are Split Along Party Lines

Apparently, this did not used to be true. TV news viewers in the past did not pick their news station in a way that correlated with party affiliation in the US. But now, increasingly so, they do.

This is from a study from the University of Georgia, Athens, based on data from the Pew Center for the People and the Press from 1998 to 2006. In 1998, Fox News was watched byt 18 percent of Democrats and 14 percent of Republicans. But in 2006, 26 percent of Republicans watched Fox, compared to 19 percent of Democrats.

What I want to know is, why are these Democrats still watching Fox News?

The rest of the findings, from a UGA press release:

The trend for CNN over the same period shows a dramatic drop in exposure to CNN for Republicans - from 27 percent to 19 percent - while Democrats have remained fairly stable, with exposure rates of 25 percent and 29 percent in 1998 and 2006, respectively.

"Republicans have dramatically dropped news sources that they perceive as being biased against their position," Hollander said. "They've completely fled into Fox and have left CNN, broadcast news and all the others - including CSPAN, which is raw content."

In addition to finding that news audiences have fragmented along party lines, Hollander's study found that individuals who do not identify strongly with either the Republican or Democratic Party are watching less news. Hollander said his finding is not surprising considering that the average consumer now has more than 100 channels from which to choose.

"What we are seeing now is the natural product of technology allowing people who never really have been interested in the news to find something else to do with their time," Hollander said. "And what's left is a fairly partisan red-state/blue-state news audience."

Hollander said the increased partisanship of news audiences encourages networks to cater to the political preferences of their audiences - which in turn is likely to accelerate the trend toward politically divided audiences. Fox's model of appealing to conservative audiences through commentators such as Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity is "obvious and overt," Hollander said, while CNN's efforts to appeal to more liberal audiences is reflected in the stories it chooses to report. CNN has spent an inordinate amount of time covering the race for the Democratic presidential nomination, for example.

Previous studies have shown that people who are not regular consumers of news are less likely to vote, meaning that the voting public is more likely to be comprised of partisans who get their information from news sources that reflect their beliefs.

"When you spend time consuming media that already agrees with your viewpoint, you're really just talking to yourself," Hollander said. "And we know from other research that the more you hear your viewpoint echoed and reinforced, the more extreme your viewpoint can become. That changes how politicians appeal to voters, the news coverage of electoral politics and probably the kind of candidates we get."

[source]

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Or, perhaps, because it's useful to know what kind of crap is being said about you. I don't know about you, but my outrage hasn't needed any building for a few years now.

By Stephanie Z (not verified) on 16 Apr 2008 #permalink

I believe that a scientific survey would reveal that the overwhelming majority of people suffering from bulimia are Democrats. They have just found a less invasive way to purge than putting their fingers down their throats.

By Green Eagle (not verified) on 16 Apr 2008 #permalink

This also reflects and contributes to the now-pervasive US illusion that there are no facts, just points of view, beliefs, and matters of opinion. Makes the future look rather dismal.

Just looking at the numbers in your post it looks like it was Republicans doing the moving (to Fox). The democrat numbers are fairly stable.

Fox's swing right probably hit the comfort zone for right-wing authoritarians. Tired of reality (poverty, global warming, environment, etc.), tune in and have all your illusions echoed.

If you have seen any coverage about the new Fox documentary on President Bush, it is obvious how warped they are. In case anyone still had any doubts about their bias, in the opening remarks it states that though early on the president was ridiculed for his speaking blunders, now he is credited with, "some of the most eloquent and visionary speeches ever delivered by an American President". And they say that with a straight face. Who can argue? Kennedy may have "ask not what your country can do for you...", but what could match the eloquence of, "bring 'em on" or "I'm the decider"

By SouthernFriedSkeptic (not verified) on 17 Apr 2008 #permalink

I watch Fox News occasionally, because it is less aggravating than the other mainstream televised news. It's sickening to watch ABC/NBC/CBS/CNN covering vapid and insubstantial "character issues" as if they are important.

With Fox, they are honest about their agenda, and watching them demonize Dems becomes sort of funny. Seriously, there's nothing funnier than Hannity or O'Reilly going on a rant about the "extreme left." But when ABC/NBC/CBS/CNN follow RNC-scripted talking points, I just feel sick.

I get all my news from the internet, so Fox News is just entertainment.

On this topic, I've posted before on my belief that the mainstream news media should not be objective or balanced - they should be liberal.