Is Cable News Trying to Inflame Public Opinion? Which Networks?

Mediabistro.com is partnering up with Poll Position, the new polling company founded by former CNN executive Eason Jordan. On occasion, TVNewser and our other blogs will share results from Poll Position polls having to do with news media consumption and coverage. Each Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday night, Poll Position conducts national telephone polling, asking more than 1,000 Americans 10 hot topic questions in addition to demographic questions – gender, race, age, political affiliation. Among the Poll Position questions this week was the following:

Do you believe that one or more of the cable television news networks try to inflame public opinion?

Yes	No	N/O
64.4%	14.7%	20.9%

National Telephone Poll of 1,138 Registered Voters / 11.29.11 / Margin of Error +/- 3%

If the respondent answered in the affirmative, they were asked a followup:

Do you feel that Fox News, CNN or MSNBC is most guilty of trying to inflame public opinion?

Fox News	MSNBC	CNN	N/O
32.2%	27.0%	22.4%	18.4%

National Telephone Poll of 1,138 Registered Voters / 11.29.11 / Margin of Error +/- 3%

A majority of respondents believe that cable news tries to inflame public opinion, and Fox news and MSNBC are the ones cited as being the worst offenders. When you break it down into demographics, things are about what you would expect:

Poll Position Crosstabs – TV News Networks-1

Poll Position Crosstabs – TV News Networks-1

Democrats overwhelmingly cite Fox News as the source of inflaming public opinion, while Republicans cite MSNBC. Independents were split between MSNBC and Fox News.

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