A new study by the University of Pennsylvania collected data which concludes that cable networks like Fox, CNN and MSNBC have shifted to the right or the left of the political spectrum, especially in their primetime programming
In an age of smartphones, it may come as a surprise to you
But most Americans consume their news on TV
With the average household tuning in more than nine hours a week.
The study found that CNN, Fox and MSNBC became more polarized particularly following the 2016 election. With Fox moving to the right and MSNBC and CNN moving to the left.
One of the methods of measurement in the study, was observing the majority of guests on the channel. For example if a network continually brought in conservative guests, then it was conservative leaning. This is called the ‘visibility bias.’
The researchers watched thousands of hours of interviews broadcasted over ten years
Let’s look at what the report says about Prime-time shows
It says “Anderson Cooper 360” on CNN and “The Rachel Maddow Show” on MSNBC leaned more liberal
And Similarly, “Tucker Carlson Tonight” on Fox news leans more towards the right- more so than other Fox programming
It’s also important to note another study published recently said that Americans who receive their news form TV are less likely to move away from their political leanings and hence from the tv networks they generally watch – compared to those who consume their news online.
But with a trend of less and less people turning to their televisions, and people’s news consumption habits changing -it remains to be seen whether the polarization between networks will only grow wider.
