Hannity: ‘If You Don’t Listen To Talk Radio, If You Don’t Watch Fox News,’ You’re Misinformed
Hannity: ‘If You Don’t Listen To Talk Radio, If You Don’t Watch Fox News,’ You’re Misinformed
Last night, Fox’s Hannity & Colmes hosted John Ziegler, author of a push poll attempting to prove that voters who supported Barack Obama were misinformed. Hannity used Ziegler’s study to complain that Obama supporters didn’t know about “really significant issues” like Bill Ayers and Obama’s views on coal. He insisted that only those who watched Fox News understood the real issues:
HANNITY: If you don’t listen to talk radio, if you don’t watch the FOX News Channel, you’re not anywhere nearly as informed as people that are just hearing the bumper stickers, the slogans, the snippets of the commercials of the media. So, journalism died in 2008, and it influenced a lot of people on the way out.
ZIEGLER: That’s exactly right.
Watch it:
Studies have consistently shown Fox viewers to be among the most misinformed Americans. A 2008 Pew study ranked Fox News dead last in the number of “high knowledge” viewers, with only 19 percent of Fox viewers able to correctly identify the majority party in Congress (Democrats), the name of the U.S. Secretary of State (Condoleezza Rice), and name of British Prime Minister (Gordon Brown).
Fox viewers are particularly misinformed about the Iraq war. A 2003 study found three common misperceptions about the war held by many Americans: first, that US troops found evidence of close pre-war links between Iraq and al-Qaeda; second, that troops found weapons of mass destruction in Iraq; and third, that world public opinion favored Washington’s going to war with Iraq. Fox viewers were the most likely to believe these falsehoods:
Eighty percent of Fox viewers were found to hold at least one misperception, compared to 23 percent of NPR/PBS consumers. All the other media fell in between. … As to the number of misconceptions held by their audiences, Fox far outscored all of its rivals. A whopping 45 percent of its viewers believed all three misperceptions, while the other commercial networks scored between 12 percent and 16 percent. Only nine percent of [print media] readers believed all three, while only four percent of the NPR/PBS audience did.
Yet Hannity and Ziegler were convinced that media malfeasance was the only reason for Obama’s victory. Ziegler even claimed, “Bush would have won 65-35 with fair coverage in 2004.”
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Insanity/Hannity – just DROP DEAD !!!
December 3rd, 2008 at 1:34 pmInsanity’s got a face for punching, right in his toxic piehole.
December 3rd, 2008 at 1:34 pmInsannity just misspoke that’s all, he really meant to say if you do listen to talk radio, if you do watch Fox News, you’re misinformed.
BTW, it’s not misimformation that flows from Faux News’ septic tank, it’s propaganda.
December 3rd, 2008 at 1:34 pmGetting lonely in the stupid tub, Seanny-boy?
December 3rd, 2008 at 1:35 pmActually, it’s not being informed, it’ being delusional. Very much like being “informed” ala Josef Goebbels Propaganda Ministry.
December 3rd, 2008 at 1:35 pm“As to the number of misconceptions held by their audiences, Fox far outscored all of its rivals.”
And the beat goes on….
December 3rd, 2008 at 1:40 pmHannity is so self-absorbed, if he were a contortionist he’d blow himself.
December 3rd, 2008 at 1:40 pmIs this a Faux Noise attempt to unseat SNL since they are losing ratings elsewhere? It did make me laugh.
December 3rd, 2008 at 1:40 pmIn this case, their ‘projection’ is very revealing. Their condemnation of hack journalism merely highlights how repugnant they are. They are a blight on civilized society.
December 3rd, 2008 at 1:40 pmHannity: So, journalism died in 2008
– - Yeah, and if MSM journalism died, Hannity euthanized it.
December 3rd, 2008 at 1:45 pmHannity gave the same news when she served drinks as a Bartender. Fox News needs to hire educated Journalist.
December 3rd, 2008 at 1:45 pmSeriously, though, what has Hannity got to lose?
He has no credibility, so why not just double down on his delusional self-congratulation?
It’s not like the Vacuous folks who will nod their heads in righteous agreement are ever gonna find out the truth. That’s not a danger.
December 3rd, 2008 at 1:46 pmBlack is white.
Up is down.
¶ AIO
December 3rd, 2008 at 1:50 pmThe former construction worker, jr. college flunk out, turned reichwingnut talking head speaks more bs.
December 3rd, 2008 at 1:51 pmmisinformed on what? Lies, propaganda, greedy feel good stories, young babes showing leg, foolish behavior of neocons, spin insanity….
December 3rd, 2008 at 1:52 pmHANNITY: If you don’t listen to talk radio, if you don’t watch the FOX News Channel, you’re not anywhere nearly as informed as people that are just hearing the bumper stickers, the slogans, the snippets of the commercials of the media.
___________________________________________________________
Waitaminnit — “you’re not anywhere nearly as informed as people that are just hearing the bumper stickers, etc.”???
Hannity is suggesting that people who listen to talk radio and watch Fox News are even LESS INFORMED than people whose only connection to current events consists of bumper stickers, slogans, and sound bites?
Wow — he has it right! Whodathunkit?
December 3rd, 2008 at 1:53 pmNo, no, no…Fux viewers are very informed…with lies and propaganda, that is.
December 3rd, 2008 at 1:54 pmHell yes!
For example, did you know that, until recently, Barack Obama was a wild-eyed socialist-Marxist-commie?
December 3rd, 2008 at 1:57 pmToss these losers Says:
Hannity is so self-absorbed, if he were a contortionist he’d blow himself.
____________
Hmmm… I think you misspoke… didn’t you REALLY mean to say…
“Seeing that he’s such a contortionist, there’s NO DOUBT he’s blowing himself…”
There… THAT’S a fair and unbalance commentary!
December 3rd, 2008 at 1:59 pmA 2008 Pew study ranked Fox News dead last in the number of “high knowledge” viewers, with only 19 percent of Fox viewers able to correctly identify the majority party in Congress (Democrats), the name of the U.S. Secretary of State (Condoleezza Rice), and name of British Prime Minister (Gordon Brown).
____________________________________________________________
Let’s be fair. On that Pew chart, “dead last” is actually the National Enquirer — only 9% of their readers could answer the “high knowledge” questions. Of course, I suspect there may be some overlap between Enquirer readers and Fox News viewers.
December 3rd, 2008 at 2:01 pmmisshusseinmolly Says:
HANNITY: If you don’t listen to talk radio [...] you’re not anywhere nearly as informed as people that are just HEARING the bumper stickers…
________________
Hmmm… and just how does one “hear” a bumper sticker? When it goes THUMP ’cause you just rear-ended the car in front of you ’cause you were too busy trying to READ that bumper sticker?
December 3rd, 2008 at 2:02 pmHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
OK ok. He beats out Bush for Moron of the Year.
December 3rd, 2008 at 2:04 pmConsiderable overlap…they read the National Enquirer in the lunch room, and watch Fox News in their living room.
December 3rd, 2008 at 2:05 pmThis explains their high knowledge level.
misshusseinmolly Says
December 3rd, 2008 at 1:53 pm
Hannity is suggesting that people who listen to talk radio and watch Fox News are even LESS INFORMED than people whose only connection to current events consists of bumper stickers, slogans, and sound bites?
_________________________________________________________
Sorry about that, folks — I must be going through my mid-afternoon crash and burn, and I misinterpreted. Hannity is saying that people who DON’T watch Fox News are less informed than the bumper-sticker readers. My bad.
But this brings up another point. One could infer from this that talk radio listeners, Fox News watchers, bumper-sticker readers, and soundbite collectors are all pretty much on a par. But I wouldn’t use the word “informed” to describe them. “Brainwashed” comes to mind.
December 3rd, 2008 at 2:08 pmWow. Seannie takes one for the team.
Didn’t think he had it in ‘im.
December 3rd, 2008 at 2:09 pmNo, missmolly, I think you interpreted the quote as correctly as possible; I just think Seannie is so confused that he’s happy if the gibberish he’s spouting simply comes out sounding like English.
As near as I can figure out, when he says,
If you don’t listen to talk radio, if you don’t watch the FOX News Channel, you’re not anywhere nearly as informed as people that are just hearing the bumper stickers, the slogans, the snippets of the commercials of the media.
it kinda sounds like he’s saying the only sources of news and information are:
talk radio and Faux News on the one hand (the right, naturally)
and “bumper stickers, slogans and snippets of commercials” on the other. Apparently, there’s no other mainstream media, no newspapers, no internet… oh, wait.
We ARE talking about “Hannity’s America”, aren’t we? It makes sense that those things don’t exist there.
Never mind.
December 3rd, 2008 at 2:13 pmFOX is a propoganda machine. All of their employees must push the propoganda. While the elections are over, the propoganda does not end, nor have the neocons and PNAC creeps given up on their anti-American goals. Talking point memos are still going out to the same group of people, who are using them in the same way. The strategy has shifted, while the goals remain the same. It seems that there is a LOT of “concern trolling” coming from the right, combined with schitzophrenic bouts of hatred of all things ‘left’ (to include Obama).
Another favorite theme that seems to be fairly regular is that of, “Obama is not the fringe left character you all thought he was: he is center right.” This is all part of strategy.
They didn’t stop being good little brownshirts because the election is over. Same game, different angle.
December 3rd, 2008 at 2:17 pmI’m pleased that TP referenced the FiveThirtyEight.com connection. Hannity isn’t the only idiot on stage there, as the exchange between Ziegler and Nate Silver (which Silver quoted in full) makes clear. Ziegler and his poll have absolutely zero credibility and Ziegler is just another annoying whiny conservative trying to change reality.
December 3rd, 2008 at 2:19 pmWell, besides “listening” to bumper stickers, I am hearing another, slightly stronger and higher pitched, sound.
Can you hear it?
It’s the RIGHT, continuing to WHINE about the election!
Yimminy flippin’ crickets, they’re a bunch of sore losers.
December 3rd, 2008 at 2:22 pmFOX does not inform its viewers, it reforms the facts for its viewers. So, if you replace the word “informed” with “reformed”, Hannity’s quote then because completely and sadly true.
December 3rd, 2008 at 2:22 pmFOX Newz: They’ll tell you what to think!
December 3rd, 2008 at 2:28 pm*Deep inhale*
ahhh…smells like desperation…
December 3rd, 2008 at 2:29 pmHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!
Oh, Sean – that’s a good one! You missed your calling, dude.
December 3rd, 2008 at 2:35 pmSo if you don’t listen to these clowns spew all their made up sh*t you won’t be able to pass a quiz on about all the made up sh*t. Oh the horror.
December 3rd, 2008 at 2:36 pmYou’d be more informed if you watched ANYTHING as opposed to learning from slogans and bumper stickers.
I don’t even know what they’re getting at here. If it’s supposed to be a swipe at people that disagree with them it certainly is a failure. I’m sure there are uninformed people who voted for both sides, but at least in Chicago, everyone I know had good reasons for what they chose.
December 3rd, 2008 at 2:41 pmSo will Hannity be in the running for Miss Informed 2008?
December 3rd, 2008 at 2:49 pmOh, excuse me for a moment, I have to go check the alarm on my WBO-WhinyBytch-O-Meter.
December 3rd, 2008 at 2:53 pmHannity is just “feeling his oats” now that he knows he has gotten rid of Colmes and going solo in future.
December 3rd, 2008 at 2:55 pmWhat a great piece…
It’s amazing how hard they try to get the TOTAL IQ level of host and guests combined to exceed that magic number of 19…I know it’s hard work for them with all the support they get from Murdoch but you gotta give them credit for keeping up the march…
MAYBE, they can get the new film of scum on chipmy’s pond at his pig farm in crawdad to actually turn a different color but I’m not gonna hold my breath..
December 3rd, 2008 at 3:05 pmSeems we could sue for false advertising or something.
December 3rd, 2008 at 3:22 pmhaven’t heard much about this (link below), except at C&L…
and the more i think about it the more pissed off i am at jon stewart, on monday’s show – to even JOKE about a comparison of keith or rachel or even msnbc to fox is a bit of a travesty …
like, way to help the situation, jon… who should know better!
the bias is real with keith and rachel, but it’s the TRUTH that matters. … and fox is little more than LYING PROPAGANDA.
http://crooksandliars.com/silentpatriot/daily-show-fox-news-vs-msnbc
December 3rd, 2008 at 3:24 pmUm, misinformed about what? Reality is just misinformation, Sean?
December 3rd, 2008 at 3:59 pmin case you missed it, last night keith interviewed Michael Wolff, who wrote “The Man Who Owns the News”, about rupert murdoch…
keith asked and wolff answered that murdoch would drop fox and pick up a liberal news show in a “(snap) new york minute” – IF there was 5 times the money… see at about 2:00:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036677/#28024078
December 3rd, 2008 at 4:07 pmOh Sean,
Still crazy after all these years.
December 3rd, 2008 at 4:21 pmjust found, looking for something else there (balloon-juice):
Still Stupid After All Of These Years
by John Cole
Dear Ed,
He could duplicate the poll 100 times, continue to get similar results, and it doesn’t confirm anything, because the problem is the QUESTIONS ARE BAD. Additionally, the questions don’t even address what you think they address- how does asking people to discern between Palin’s nonsensical gibberish and Tina Fey’s impression of Palin prove media bias? If I bang my thumb with a hammer 100 times, it may hurt every time, but it most certainly doesn’t explain why the sun rises in the east.
Signed,
A Trained Monkey
PS- I would not interview Ziegler if I were you, Ed. He has a potty mouth, and you might get the vapors.
links at http://www.balloon-juice.com/?p=14271
December 3rd, 2008 at 5:45 pm“Neocon Logic: This Statement is Untrue”
December 3rd, 2008 at 5:46 pmBecause watch FOX and Hannity is cheaper that getting a degree or two, plus you don’t have to work, think, reason, or even display good hygiene. But you can get permission to feel superior to suckers to went to school.
December 3rd, 2008 at 6:22 pmWTF? Negative statements are always confusing. Besides, Hannity’s just too darned dishonest to speak the truth, so I’ll translate:
If you listen to talk radio, if you watch the FOX News Channel, you’re misinformed.
December 3rd, 2008 at 6:28 pmHannity and Ziegler sitting on a tree….
December 3rd, 2008 at 6:57 pmMust we share the planet with these people? Can’t we find a nice sterile, cold, boring planet to send them to? Please?
December 3rd, 2008 at 8:15 pmDoes anyone wonder if Handittity ‘n OhReally keep their priest on retainer, daily. If BS were a dollar, they’d both be
December 3rd, 2008 at 9:11 pmrich unemployed bums. How many of you feel sorry for their kids? Raise your hand.
if you haven’t already, do yourself a favor and read the linked interview with nate silver on 538. it’s a riot.
December 3rd, 2008 at 10:03 pmcorrection, If you listen to Reic Wing radio and watch Fox news you will be blantantly lied to……..and misinformed.
December 4th, 2008 at 1:15 amSean Hannity – One of the Great Mysteries of the Universe.
How can anybody so stupid, get paid so much, for doing absolutely nothing.
Amazing.
December 4th, 2008 at 2:22 amJohn Ziegler’s career is pretty amusing. He gets fired a lot and blames other people for the way he was treated, despite lots of evidence that he’s a complete a-hole. He’s paranoid, a loudmouth, and perfect for Hannity.
December 4th, 2008 at 11:52 amMore on the angry little misogynist that is John Ziegler.
http://www.wlky.com/news/4498332/detail.html
http://www.wave3.com/global/Story.asp?s=3357713
http://www.thisnews.com/january2008.html
December 4th, 2008 at 11:56 amI think what really has Hannity, Limbaugh and the likes are the fact that their bosses shelled out multi-millions of dollars for them to get the extreme right wingers back in the white house and they just wasted their money. If I ran my business like that I’d df closed up shop a long time ago.
December 4th, 2008 at 1:37 pmyou guys are idiots. haha. at least you make me laugh. you know why it makes me laugh?
because by the time this fine nation has its first Fascist ruler…
i will have blown my brains out.
good luck spreading hate.
ill be packing my stuff and moving it into a bunker in west texas.
hahaha
December 5th, 2008 at 11:31 amcoltonh Says:
Vintage stupid there Colton. You win the moron of the month prize. Feel free to do the world a favor in that bunker. We just outlasted the closest thing to a fascist President we are ever likely to have. What is being spread here is the truth. Which only seems like hate to the stoopidest of the wingnut crowd. Good luck with that demented laughter thing.
December 5th, 2008 at 3:08 pmI was extremely disappointed when a friend of mine, an avid Fox watcher, called this quote from the above article into question: “Studies have consistently shown Fox viewers to be among the most misinformed Americans. A 2008 Pew study ranked Fox News dead last in the number of “high knowledge” viewers, with only 19 percent of Fox viewers able to correctly identify the majority party in Congress (Democrats), the name of the U.S. Secretary of State (Condoleezza Rice), and name of British Prime Minister (Gordon Brown).”
Those 2 statements were GROSSLY overstated the case & and FLAT OUT WRONG! Using the qualifier of ‘among’ while accurate is misleading. To me three studies over five years do not indicated “consistently.”
The 2007 Pew study linked showed network morning show viewers scored lowered.
The 2008 Pew Study linked DID NOT show any to be accurate: It showed that ELEVEN other categories, including CNBC, Local & Network news (17%) & CBS (10%) scored lower!
I trust thinkprogress as a source and am deeply offended at the misleading and factually inaccurate interpretation to make an editorial comment.
The above comment needs to be CORRECTED and an apology to the readers issued!
December 6th, 2008 at 10:37 amSorry the research you cite does not reach the conclusion you citing. Fox news has the most viewers, but is above the national average. Hmm, if Cnbc or MSNBC had that many viewers I bet they would be at the same level or lower. I love how idiots have no clue how to read statistics and the conclusions reached. Ironic that Hannity and colmbs veiwers or Rush viewers are rated very high. That darn right wing is beating our buts in being informed, but we’ll leave that out. Hey you could be the new times or be a host on MSLSD
December 29th, 2008 at 6:04 pmWow way too many typos not to be corrected
Sorry the research you cite does not reach the same conclusions. Fox news has the most viewers, but is above the national average. Hmm, if Cnbc or MSNBC had that many viewers I bet they would be at the same level or if not lower. I love how idiots, like yourself, have no clue how to read statistics and the conclusions reached by them. Ironic that Hannity and Colmes viewers or Rush viewers are rated very high. That darn right wing is beating our butts in being informed, but we’ll leave that out. Hey you could be columnist in the New York Times or be a host on MSLSD. I heard a phrase that could serve all you ideologues some good, “How long does the earth have to keep cooling for people to finally abandoned the fallacy of Global Warming.” Funny how there is no evidence that supports the theory only lab work that still can’t be proven. But hey you could lecture me on how my relgious beliefs can’t be proven or are not scientific, but yet believe in the big bang theory and that all the missing gaps in evolution will magically fall the way you ……wait wait……what is the word…..”BELIEVE”
December 29th, 2008 at 6:08 pm