click the graphic for a link to PEW Research
(this graphic was added and is not part of the press release - BUT it is composed of data from Pew...)
Posted on 06/27/2005 6:01:16 PM PDT by rface
The study found radio listeners were the most polarized news consumers, due in part to ... Rush Limbaugh. Conservative listeners have their ideals reinforced ... which ultimately lead to even more extreme views. Newspaper readers were the least polarized news consumers...readers are less likely to adopt extreme attitudes about certain issues.
"Overall, our findings point to radio as a reason for the increasing polarization of the U.S. public"
click the graphic for a link to PEW Research
(this graphic was added and is not part of the press release - BUT it is composed of data from Pew...)
Newswise — Recent studies indicate that Americans are becoming increasingly extreme in their political, ideological and cultural views. From issues such as stem cell research to the environment, Americans are clinging to viewpoints that are increasingly opposed to one another, a phenomenon that some researchers attribute to the highly contested 2000 presidential election. Now, researchers at the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Journalism have completed a study suggesting that it is the type of media a person consumes, not necessarily the message, that determines how polarized people are on a certain issue.
Journalism professors Wayne Wanta and Stephanie Craft and journalism doctoral student Mugur Geana used data from a telephone survey administered nationally to 2,528 adults in the United States. Survey respondents answered a series of questions on the government, religion and a combination of those areas, and then their polarization scores were calculated. The researchers then compared variables such as income level, main news source and interaction time with the media to the polarization scores.
The study found radio listeners were the most polarized news consumers, due in part to shows hosted by conservative political commentators such as Rush Limbaugh. Conservative listeners have their ideals reinforced by the shows, which ultimately lead to even more extreme views, Wanta said. Newspaper readers were the least polarized news consumers. Since newspapers do not have the same space and time constraints as television or radio, newspapers are able to provide readers with more information on both sides of an issue. As a result, Wanta said, readers are less likely to adopt extreme attitudes about certain issues.
"Overall, our findings point to radio being a possible reason for the increasing polarization of the U.S. public," Wanta said. "This apparent polarization effect of radio is probably not caused by the amount of information radio listeners receive. If respondents had been using media content as an information source to crystallize their own opinions, we would likely see the same—if not stronger—effect with newspapers or the Internet—media that have information that is more in-depth than the content on radio."
Internet news consumers were also some of the least polarized citizens, which the researchers say is surprising since the Internet users could have easily received their news from outlets that matched their existing views.
"By narrowly concentrating their information consumption on content that reinforces their views, Internet users potentially could experience the same reinforcing process that could be taking place with conservative radio listeners," Wanta said, noting that Internet users are actually become less polarized in their views. "One plausible explanation is that Internet users are seeking breadth as well as depth in the information they get from the Internet. This breadth of information shows both sides of political issues, leading to a wider acceptance of differing political views."
The study was conducted by Princeton Research Associations and sponsored by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press. It was presented to the Political Communication Division at the International Communication Association annual convention in New York City in May.
I dispute this: "Since newspapers do not have the same space and time constraints as television or radio, newspapers are able to provide readers with more information on both sides of an issue." I could read the newspaper three times and work the crossword puzzle twice in the three hours I spend listening to Rush.
"Mugur Geana used data from a telephone survey administered nationally to 2,528 adults in the United States."
A little over 2500 people are surveyed, and this is the result? There may be a lot of people who have strong opinions who don't write to editors or call radio stations because of the hassle. Who knows?
The left must have decided the drug charges are going for naught so they are attacking radio from another angle.
Err Amerika must be in bigger trouble.
Either way, Rush is going to have fun with this.
Newspapers are dead as a news source. They are only useful for advertising distribution for things like homes, cars, and sunday sales circulars.
TRANSLATION: For a more equitable view of the world, newspaper researchers invite you to turn off Rancid Rush Radio and turn on to Groovy Gray Lady Grape Kool-Aid.
Well analyzed.
You have a wonderful way with words!
Did you notice the article was posted by RFACE?
He only spews leftist crap against conservatives.
MSM newspapers and magazines have lost readers until
those left are hard left. Fox network is killing their
TV competition and talk radio overwhelms Air America.
I LOVE IT
I don't spew ---- others do the spewing. I just report the spew so that you can know where the spew is. Spew is messy and it's best to try to keep it contained ..... otherwise you will one day find yourself covered in spew and that sucks
*snort*
*chuckle*
*GUFFAW!!!!*
*ROTFLMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!*
In contrast, most radio talk show allow for listener calls. Radio commentators have to defend their opinions on the fly. They hear objections they have never contemplated and they are scolded by experts they never contacted. Liberals do poorly in verbal defense as their opinions are fluffy feelings - - facts are hard to fudge.
Isn't the logic here
the more likely someone is to disagre with liberals the more "extremest" they are.
By this logic if 99% of the public were liberal hating dedicated conservatives then they would be extremists and the 1% would be considered mainstream.
The correct analysis is that the more someone listens to talk radio the more informed they are, the less likely you are to agree with liberals.
Radio Listeners Have Most Extreme Political Views, Newspaper Readers Least.
Radio Listeners Are Better Informed, Newspaper Readers Least Informed
Can anyone find any reference to Rush in the Pew survey? I can't so I'm not sure where they came up with their attributing any view to Rush. Did I miss something?
Pew. The same folks who are funded in part by the Tides Foundation. 'Nuff said.
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