Political Confirmation Bias

Flopping Aces ^ | 10-21-14 | Wordsmith

[Starman417]

Pew Research Journalism Project has a slightly interesting survey out:

Overall, the study finds that consistent conservatives:

• Are tightly clustered around a single news source, far more than any other group in the survey, with 47% citing Fox News as their main source for news about government and politics.
• Express greater distrust than trust of 24 of the 36 news sources measured in the survey. At the same time, fully 88% of consistent conservatives trust Fox News.
• Are, when on Facebook, more likely than those in other ideological groups to hear political opinions that are in line with their own views.
• Are more likely to have friends who share their own political views. Two-thirds (66%) say most of their close friends share their views on government and politics.

By contrast, those with consistently liberal views:

• Are less unified in their media loyalty; they rely on a greater range of news outlets, including some – like NPR and the New York Times– that others use far less.
• Express more trust than distrust of 28 of the 36 news outlets in the survey. NPR, PBS and the BBC are the most trusted news sources for consistent liberals.
• Are more likely than those in other ideological groups to block or “defriend” someone on a social network – as well as to end a personal friendship – because of politics.
• Are more likely to follow issue-based groups, rather than political parties or candidates, in their Facebook feeds.

 

The survey results were characterized in this manner at HuffPo Politics:

Conservatives are more likely to distrust news sources that don't reflect their point of view, the study said.

The delicious irony is in how liberals continue to fail to perceive the obvious: That the reason why conservatives trust "one" major news source than "trust of 24 of the 36 news sources measured", is for similar reasons as to why liberals gravitate toward all those other news outlets. The other ones- NPR, NYTimes, MSNBC, etc.- tilt center-left to far left. FOX News is the only cable news network that leans conservative.

What is deeply frustrating is in how so many liberals fail to see the bias in mainstream publications like the NYTimes, CBS, NPR, WaPo, etc. They tend to think of these news organizations as non-biased, non-partisan, and objective in their straight news coverage- and accurate (Re: "Facts have a liberal bias.").

The Pew Research survey itself fails to draw this conclusion:

[gorush]

[deadrock]

So, I agree with the Huffington Post for once.

[RightOnTheBorder]

When arguing with a leftist, usually I have already heard every arguement he makes while most leftists are blindsided by my take on things. They may have a diversity of sources but no diversity of thought.

[vpintheak]

I have lost 4 “friends” on FB due to their lefty bias, and them defriending me. 2 of them were family.
None of the conservatives I have argued with on FB have ever defriended me.
Lesson learned, lefties scream and yell and run away. Conservatives yell, and move on.

[Henry Hnyellar]

Conservatives yell, and move on.

The FR motto.

[boop]

"When arguing with a leftist, usually I have already heard every arguement he makes while most leftists are blindsided by my take on things. They may have a diversity of sources but no diversity of thought."

That's because 99% of all media is LIBERAL.

You actually have to seek out an alternate opinion.

When you are marinated 24/7 in liberal "ideas", you have no clue that there could even exist another view.

Once I discovered the other side of the news, I was hooked.

Because finally I realized just how f-ing STUPID liberal "ideas" are.

[TChad]

When arguing with a leftist, usually I have already heard every arguement he makes while most leftists are blindsided by my take on things.

In a week or two the leftist will be unable to restate your arguments accurately or will have forgotten them entirely. The leftist bubble must be kept inflated.