So the latest Pew Research Center study on trends in news viewership is out and surprise, surprise: CNN's emphasis on "Must-
Cry TV" isn't doing their credibility any favors. Specifically, CNN's credibility dropped from 32% in 2004 to 28% in 2006.
Pew also found that MSNBC's credibility decreased from 22% in 2004 to 21% in 2006. From the 2004 to the 2006 study, NBC News dropped from 24% to 23%, ABC News dropped from 24% to 22% and CBS News dropped from 24% to 22%. (If anybody cares, NPR dropped from 23% to 22%.)
But here's the stand-out data: Fox News Channel was the only major news organization NOT to lose crediblity with viewers since Pew's last study on credibility in 2004. In 2004, 25% of FNC's viewers believed all or most of what FNC said and in 2006 that figure remained at 25%. Yet FNC didn't spend $20 million to promote an anchor who can emote on cue, as CNN did, to stay credible. It's got to be enough to make Jon Klein cry.
