Industry News

Poll: FNC News Network to Which Voters Turn

According to data from a recent New York Times/Siena College poll of registered voters nationwide, FOX News Channel is named the single news network voters turn to most often, above CNN andim MSNBC, along with topping The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, PBS and NPR. The poll results show 13% of respondents cited FOX News as the single news source they turn to most often, tying broadcast networks like CBS, NBC and ABC, while besting CNN (10%) and MSNBC (3%). For comparison, public news organizations (like PBS and NPR) delivered 4%, national news organizations such as The New York Times and Wall Street Journal garnered 8%, while international news sources like the BBC, Al Jazeera and The Guardian earned 3%.

Industry Views

Monday Memo: News Tune-Out/Tune-In

By Holland Cooke
Consultant

im“Most registered voters avoid the news at least some of the time. Of those who disengage, over half avoid national politics coverage,” according to the “Voices of Value 2023 Report” by the Pell Center at Salve Regina University.

It’s a survey of registered voters in Rhode Island, where I live, and this data mirrors national polls: “Democrats and Republicans hold deeply negative views of their political counterparts. Nearly two-thirds of Republicans and Democrats view their political opponents as very close-minded. Independents are less likely to judge their counterparts as harshly.”

— Also reflecting national data: “More Rhode Islanders trust local than national news, but Republicans and Independents are less trusting than Democrats, given their concerns of partisan media as a threat to democracy.”
— “All parties are skeptical of news from social media sites as they are concerned with fake news and disinformation.”
— “Partisan differences exist beyond this fatigue of national politics. Republicans are the most likely party to distrust the news media and the least likely party to say they avoid the news. Over half receive most of their news from FOX News.”

im

What this means to radio:

— If you do local news, tout it.
— If you’re an affiliate, remind them that you’re FOX News in the car. It’s the source they trust. Those who disengage aren’t listening.

Holland Cooke (HollandCooke.com) is a consultant working at the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet. He is the author of “Close Like Crazy: Local Direct Leads, Pitches & Specs That Earned the Benjamins” and “Confidential: Negotiation Checklist for Weekend Talk Radio.” Follow HC on Twitter @HollandCooke