FOX News is in the news because of their pre-election coverage of the presidential polls, and (I believe) it is an important conversation. Many are questioning what happened and why.
Yet, it is not secret that FOX News is the choice for many evangelicals – and that can be seen in a recent (though pre-election season) poll of pastors.
In 2010, LifeWay Research conducted a survey of more than 1,000 Protestant pastors on the topic of television news sources. It should come as no surprise that FOX News was chosen by nearly 50% of respondents to be accurate and fair. (You can download the PPT here or the PDF here)
In what some may consider surprising, PBS was second in the results with 31% seeing them as accurate and fair. CNN followed closely behind with 28%.
It is interesting to note that all three broadcast networks drew relatively the same amount of support. ABC led the Big Three with 20% while NBC and CBS both drew 19%.
MSNBC is not exactly a pastor favorite. They received 14%.
It’s not only pastors, though, who feel this way about FOX News. In a Public Policy Polling survey of the American public, also conducted in 2010, Fox News was again named the most trusted source. A Suffolk University survey also came to the same results in 2011.
Since this survey is two years old, do you think the perception has changed at all in that time? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
