In reading the survey results which Carroll cited,'Misperceptions, The Media and the Iraq War', I discovered that to learn about the study methodology required a login. I filled out a request for access - twice, but received no response.
http://www.knowledgenetworks.com/ganp/login.html
Some general comments on this study:
Fox was singled out for a high level of misperceptions, although the reports lists the following for all major news broadcasts.
P 15. Average rate of misperception Fox:45% CBS:36% ABC:30% NBC:30%
No mention of the close totals between Fox, believed to be a politically
studys' valadity not in question, I would consider that to be one of the more notable findings.
Other report conclusions could also be considered suspect, such as:
P 14. 'Those who receive most of their news from NPR or PBS are less likely to have misperceptions'.
Following the suspected methodology used in this study, it would not be difficult to put NPR and PBS viewers into a high category of mispercep- tions. With questions such as the following:
1). Is it true that Geroge W. Bush specifically stated that Saddam had WMD, and this was the rational for going to war with Iraq.
2). UN Weapons Inspections began in 1991 and ended in March of 2003. At which time the inspectors were ordered to leave Iraq by General Secretary Kofi Annan. During the inspection period, 1991 to March 2003;
a. Were there any times when UN inspectors were removed from Iraq? b. Were there any times when UN inspectors were denied access to Iraq?
3). Were UN inspectors ever denied access to locations inside Iraq?
4). Is it true that no evidence has been discovered which suggests any WMD program was in operation in Iraq?
In addition there is this in the report:
p.6: 'However, a striking misperception occurred after the war when the US failed to find any weapons of mass destruction or even any solid evidence of a WMD program.'
The research study was now beginning to sound more like an editorial from Carroll's own newspaper.
In addition:
Note on page 2 of the 'research' that those who designed the questionnaire also wrote the anaylsis. With no mention of an external review. In such research it would be common to see, 'Research analysis verified by ...'
And the primary author of this study also authored the following:
'Misreading the Public' 'Book explores misconceptions on American public attitudes on foreign policy.'
You may go ahead and draw your own conclusions.
John Carroll should be ashamed for citing such a results-biased research while ignoring the potential for an bias in his own newspaper. Which, you may recall last year, was discovered to be doctoring photographs from Iraq.
I also find it puzzling that Carroll would single out Bill O'Riley while ignoring sources such as Charlie Rose, Bill Moyers, and 60 Minutes. It would appeare that in terms of media bias, the knife only cuts in one
