But the real finding is that the results depend on what media sources people turn to for their news. For example, people who watch Fox News, the most popular of the 24-hour cable news networks, are 18-points less likely to know that Egyptians overthrew their government than those who watch no news at all (after controlling for other news sources, partisanship, education and other demographic factors). Fox News watchers are also 6-points less likely to know that Syrians have not yet overthrown their government than those who watch no news.

As for networks informing their audiences, this is where it gets interesting…

Only 55% of New Jerseyans are able to name correctly either Mitt Romney or Herman Cain as the Republican candidates most recently leading in the polls, with 37 % saying that Romney is ahead, and 18% saying that Cain is. Watching Fox News didn’t help or hurt respondents on this question. MSNBC, however, helped: Watching MSNBC was associated with a 10-point increase in identifying Romney as the leader, and a 5-point drop in the likelihood of identifying Cain compared to those who got no exposure to news at all.

“Given the amount of time and effort the media spent covering these candidates, the fact that only about half of the public can name one of the front-runners is embarrassing,” said Cassino. “The fact that Fox News, the preferred media outlet for many of the candidates, doesn’t do better in informing viewers is very surprising.”

Source

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Bill O’Reilly, citing the New England Journal of Medicine stated that  “46.3% May Leave Medical Profession” and “If half of the nation’s doctors are considering bailing on the profession if Obama-care passes, that is a frightening consequence.”

Here’s what the “poll” actually stated:

46.3%of primary care physicians (family medicine and internal medicine) feel that the passing of health reform will either force them out of medicine or make them want to leave medicine.

Misleading, yes, but that’s not the most interesting part. The New England Journal of Medicine states that they never produced a health care survey!

For example, on Fox & Friends, co-host Brian Kilmeade said: “The New England Journal of Medicine has published a report and did a survey, and they said the impact of reform on primary care physicians, 46 percent, they say, feel reform will force them out or make them want to leave medicine.”

This is false.

Media Matters for America contacted the New England Journal of Medicine, which confirmed it neither conducted nor published the “survey.”

NEJM spokesperson Jennifer Zeis told Media Matters that the study had “nothing to do with the New England Journal of Medicine’s original research.” She also made clear that the study “was not published by the New England Journal of Medicine,” and said that “we are taking steps to clarify the source of the survey.”

The “report” that right-wing media are citing actually appeared in Recruiting Physicians Today, which is an employment newsletter produced by “the publishers of the New England Journal of Medicine.” According to Zeis, that report actually “was written by the Medicus Firm,” the medical recruitment firm that conducted the “survey.”

UPDATE: Following inquiries from Media Matters, the “NEJM CareerCenter” website has now posted the following statement, making clear that Recruiting Physicians Today is a “free advertiser newsletter” whose content is “produced by physician recruiting firms and other independent groups involved in physician employment” and that Medicus was responsible for conducting and publishing the “survey” in question…

Source

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Click to enlarge

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Media Matters for America sent an open letter to Fox News senior vice president Michael Clemente regarding the “zero tolerance for on-screen errors.”

The erroneous percentages Fox & Friends showed in its graphic added up to 120 percent (even without the 15 percent who responded that they weren’t sure).,” wrote Ari Rabin-Havt, Media Matters’ vice president of communications and research. “More importantly, Fox News’ presentation of the data made it seem as though 94 percent of Americans think it’s at least “somewhat likely” that climate scientists falsify their research data.

Unfortunately, Fox & Friends executive producer Lauren Petterson defended the erroneous reporting.

PETTERSON: We were just talking about three interesting pieces of information from Rasmussen… We didn’t put on the screen that it added up to 100 percent… The mistake I do see is we could have been a little clearer here

Media Matters has responded to Petterson’s statements:

Lauren Petterson clearly did not watch the segment in question. Host Steve Doocy agreed with Media Matters’ interpretation seeing as he attempted to add up these numbers as they appeared on air and said “so you get 90 – you got a lot of people.” On Fox News, percentages don’t add up to 100 and, apparently, “zero tolerance” means unless we get caught

So, there are a few possible scenarios here: 1) Lauren Petterson does not understand percentages, 2) Petterson does understand percentages but is inept at displaying data correctly, 3) Petterson did not watch the segment and responded without fact checking, or 4) Petterson, executive producer of the show that made the mistake, is an outright liar.

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Apparently, the actual poll results were as follows: According to the poll, 35 percent thought it very likely, 24 percent somewhat likely, 21 percent not very likely, and 5 percent not likely at all (15 percent weren’t sure).

Fox News added the “very likely” and “somewhat likely” figures together, which total 59% and retained the “somewhat likely” label. They then included the 35% “very likely” in their graphic in addition to the new “somewhat likely” votes. The result shows a total of 120% and that doesn’t include the 15% who weren’t sure…

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Not only is the math wrong, but the basis of the chart is wrong – the poll was not asking for respondents’ favorite candidates, but rather favorable ratings among Republicans for each candidate, separately.

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Here is what you’d see if you watched Fox & Friends:

Here is the reality – in other words, using a poll that’s not a year old:

The survey found: “More than three times as many Republicans (34%) as Democrats (10%) say they get most of their national and international news from Fox. By comparison, Democrats are more than twice as likely than Republicans to cite CNN (29% vs. 13%). A similar pattern is evident for MSNBC, with more Democrats (9%) than Republicans (3%) citing it as a main news source.” Nineteen percent of independents said they get most of their national and international news from Fox.

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SAMMON: Well, that’s true. And, you know, you have to — you have to figure that President Obama is feeling whipsawed, because on the one hand, people are saying they don’t want the public option, as that poll demonstrates. Republicans are showing up at these town hall meetings and objecting. On the other hand, you’ve got liberal Democrats saying, look, you better put that public option back in there.

Keep reading to see why this doesn’t show the whole picture…

The poll figures, as seen above, are from an Ipsos/McClatchy poll from early July, 2009. Click on the image below to view the actual poll questions and results. You’ll notice that the first question shows that the majority feel that it’s necessary to have a public option.

Click to enlarge

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The O’Reilly Factor wants to know what you think the WORST Entertainment TV show series of all time is. No news shows or specific episodes should be given as answers. The winning show may be featured in a new “American TV Icons” segment!

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