The Fox Effect: Viewers Are More Uninformed About Immigration

Scientific American Editor: Fox Told Me I Couldn't Talk About Climate Change
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Americans who most trust Fox News are more likely to be uninformed about the immigration system and less likely to support a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants than those who trust other news sources, according to a sweeping new study released Tuesday by the Brookings Institution and Public Religion Research Institute.

Of the Americans who trust Fox News to give them the most accurate information about politics and current events, just 12 percent correctly believe that deportations have increased under the Obama administration, said the study, which measured cultural attitudes toward immigration in 2014. Overall, 25 percent of Americans correctly said deportations have risen.

Among Republicans, there were notable differences in attitudes toward immigrants between those who most trust Fox and those who prefer other news outlets.

Sixty percent of Republicans who most trust Fox say immigrants are a burden, while just 38 percent of Republicans whose most trusted news source is something else say immigrants are a burden.

Republicans who most trust Fox News are also less likely to support a path to citizenship for unauthorized immigrants (42 percent) than Republicans who trust other news sources (60 percent).

The study concluded that “trust in Fox News as an accurate news source is the most powerful independent predictor of opposition to a path to citizenship. Identifying as Republican and being a born-again Christian are also significant predictors of opposition to immigration reform that includes a path to citizenship.”

By contrast, the most significant predictors of support for immigration reform were “[h]olding a four-year college degree, being female, identifying with the Democratic Party, and most trusting MSNBC as an accurate news source.”

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Notable Replies

  1. Watch all media grow shy or divert the topic when “doing something” about FOX-led media bullying is mentioned.
    Bottom line, all media finds deregulation too profitable to reverse no matter the cost to America…Anyway, isn’t old media dying or on track to become the trashy, soft porn supermarket tabloid of the 21st century? Plus, considering their track record, why would anyone seek media advice?

  2. Ah, yet another template headline: “Fox News Viewers Are More Uninformed About _______________________”. Just fill in the blank with any topic and you have a valid headline. On the other hand, Fox viewers are not so much uninformed as misinformed. Some uninformed people can figure it out for themselves. Fox viewers never get the chance. Misinformation and disinformation are handed to them on a platter 24/7.

  3. So the ‘reanimated religionists’ don’t want a path to citizenship for immigrants? What, is it because they think the country is too full or something? There’s plenty of room for everyone. Wait a second, that reminds me of a story I read once about a traveling couple with a baby who kept getting turned away because there was no room. Eventually, I think, someone finally let them sleep in a barn or something? I don’t remember all the details. But I suppose it’s not the same thing.

  4. Fox viewers are more uninformed about EVERYTHING. Except Hasselbeck’s legs.
    Benghazi! Berghdahl!

  5. The headline can be shortened to: The Fox Effect: Viewers Are More Uninformed

    Any category of “news” disseminated by fox is politicized hogwash and I am amazed at how the other journalist and news organizations put up with, and at times defends, fox. Fox’s blatant republic party ideology hidden as 'news" is one of the biggest (true) news stories of a generation but nobody will take it on. So weird.

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