Cable might seem like king these days, but Americans still turn to broadcast network news when they want to know what’s happening in the world of politics. At least that’s according to one recent poll.
According to a February 2019 (Feb. 24-27) NBC News/Wall Street Journal survey of 900 Americans asked about media consumption along with general questions about politics, half said they watch broadcast network news regularly; 34 percent watch Fox News; 32 percent watch CNN; 25 percent watch MSNBC; 20 percent read conservative outlets; and 19 percent read progressive outlets.
The above information can be found on the final page of the document (page 17).
The pollsters used the viewership info to examine the divide in what people believe about President Trump and Russia. The question asked: Has Trump “been honest and truthful when it comes to the investigation into Russian interference with the 2016 presidential election and related matters?”
Among the self-described regular Fox News viewers, 84 percent said yes, he’s been truthful. Among MSNBC viewers, only 21 percent said yes. Among CNN viewers, only 1 percent said yes.
“Look, these are small samples,” Chuck Todd said on the March 3 broadcast of Meet the Press when he cited the study. “But that does tell you something major.” Democratic pollster Fred Yang added: “It tells us that you get your reality from what channel you watch.”