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Eric Boehlert: The myth of Fox News' ratings spike

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babylonsister Donating Member (1000+ posts)  Journal Click to send private message to this author Click to view this author's profile Click to add this author to your buddy list Click to add this author to your Ignore list Donate to DU! Wed Nov-04-09 07:39 PM
Original message
Eric Boehlert: The myth of Fox News' ratings spike

The myth of Fox News' ratings spike
by Eric Boehlert | November 4, 2009


Fact: The breathless claim that Fox News' ratings recently spiked thanks to the White House's public critique is bogus hype -- hype that Fox News and the Beltway press have relentlessly pushed.

It's just not true.

No matter how many times reporters and pundits made the claim, a detailed analysis of Nielsen ratings numbers clearly indicates that in the two weeks after the White House in mid-October sparked a media controversy by claiming Rupert Murdoch's channel was not a legitimate news organization, Fox News' ratings did not soar or go "through the roof." In fact, not only did Fox News' overall ratings not soar, they experienced no significant increase at all. Instead, in the two weeks following the initial verbal jousts with the White House, Fox News' total day ratings virtually flatlined.

Think about it. The unfolding controversy, which gobbled up untold hours and pages of news coverage as the Beltway press treated the dispute like a major news event (even though news consumers couldn't care less), and the hubbub barely moved the ratings needle one inch in Fox News' favor.

Another example of the Beltway press not letting the facts get in the way of a good story? It sure looks that way. In this case, we saw nearly universal agreement among media elites that the White House decision to publicly call out Fox News was monumentally dumb, thin-skinned, short-sighted, and uncivil. (Paging the etiquette police!)

Everyone said so. Therefore pundits were certain that Fox News' ratings were way up and that Obama and his aides had made a huge tactical blunder. The ratings angle simply provided statistical ammunition for what the Beltway press corps already knew to be the truth: Fact-checking Fox News, in the immortal words of The Washington Post's CW-loving Sally Quinn, was "absolutely crazy."

Except it turns out none of that was true. There was no viewer stampede toward Fox News.

more...

http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/24757
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   Replies to this thread
   Recommended.  JohnWxy   Nov-04-09 07:53 PM   #1 
   bwahahahaha  mimitabby   Nov-04-09 08:12 PM   #2 
   "Ratings" are pretty much like "polls", a propaganda tool.  bemildred   Nov-04-09 08:28 PM   #3 
   Facts are funny things  Canuckistanian   Nov-04-09 11:05 PM   #4 
   nobody watches fox 'news'  scarface2004   Nov-05-09 12:18 AM   #5 
   Define "watches"  TrogL   Nov-05-09 12:35 PM   #8 
   The culture of lies in America even pervades DU  depakid   Nov-05-09 02:06 AM   #6 
   K & R  democracy1st   Nov-05-09 04:26 AM   #7 
 
JohnWxy (1000+ posts)  Journal Click to send private message to this author Click to view this author's profile Click to add this author to your buddy list Click to add this author to your Ignore list Wed Nov-04-09 07:53 PM
Response to Original message
1. Recommended.
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mimitabby Donating Member (1000+ posts)  Journal Click to send private message to this author Click to view this author's profile Click to add this author to your buddy list Click to add this author to your Ignore list Wed Nov-04-09 08:12 PM
Response to Original message
2. bwahahahaha
what a bunch of bs
who knew?
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bemildred Donating Member (1000+ posts) Click to send private message to this author Click to view this author's profile Click to add this author to your buddy list Click to add this author to your Ignore list Wed Nov-04-09 08:28 PM
Response to Original message
3. "Ratings" are pretty much like "polls", a propaganda tool.
Murdoch has been losing money on his "news" operations for years.
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Canuckistanian Donating Member (1000+ posts)  Journal Click to send private message to this author Click to view this author's profile Click to add this author to your buddy list Click to add this author to your Ignore list Wed Nov-04-09 11:05 PM
Response to Original message
4. Facts are funny things
They tend to destroy a good story.
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scarface2004 (1000+ posts) Click to send private message to this author Click to view this author's profile Click to add this author to your buddy list Click to add this author to your Ignore list Thu Nov-05-09 12:18 AM
Response to Original message
5. nobody watches fox 'news'
you know it, i know it, the whole world knows it. stephen colbert kicks their ass!!
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TrogL Donating Member (1000+ posts)  Journal Click to send private message to this author Click to view this author's profile Click to add this author to your buddy list Click to add this author to your Ignore list Thu Nov-05-09 12:35 PM
Response to Reply #5
8. Define "watches"
We get Fox up here through cable. Many bars and stores (and I imagine many households) will have it "on". Whether people are actually watching is a different story.
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depakid Donating Member (1000+ posts) Click to send private message to this author Click to view this author's profile Click to add this author to your buddy list Click to add this author to your Ignore list Thu Nov-05-09 02:06 AM
Response to Original message
6. The culture of lies in America even pervades DU
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democracy1st (1000+ posts)  Journal Click to send private message to this author Click to view this author's profile Click to add this author to your buddy list Click to add this author to your Ignore list Thu Nov-05-09 04:26 AM
Response to Original message
7. K & R
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DU AdBot (1000+ posts) Click to send private message to this author Click to view this author's profile Click to add this author to your buddy list Click to add this author to your Ignore list Sun Nov 22nd 2009, 01:45 AM
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