This is Your Brain On Fox
FOX Studios on August 16, 2011 in New York City (Andy Kropa / Getty Images)
Last year, researchers at Fairleigh Dickinson University produced a survey contending that Fox News viewers were the most systematically misinformed people in America—so much so, that when quizzed on current affairs, people who watched only Fox scored worse than people who watched no news at all.
That survey drew wide criticism, as it won't surprise you to hear.
So this year, the authors repeated the experiment, using a wider base of respondents. And guess what?
1185 people nationwide were asked about their viewing habits and then asked 4 questions about international affairs and 5 about domestic news.
On average, respondents got correct 1.8 of the international questions and 1.6 of the domestic questions. (I know, I know.)
People who mainly listened to NPR did somewhat better: an average of 1.92 correct on the domestic section.
People who watched no news at all averaged 1.22 domestic questions right.
And people who watched only Fox? 1.04.
Looks like a trend.
About the Author
David Frum
David Frum is a contributing editor at Newsweek and The Daily Beast and a CNN contributor. He is the author of eight books, including most recently the e-book WHY ROMNEY LOST and his first novel Patriots, published in April 2012.
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