A great deal of what we think depends on the information we get and where we get it from (obviously).
I've been rummaging around websites that provide cable news ratings and network t.v. news ratings.
We tend to think that "the whole world is watching", everybody's "mad as hell and not gonna take it anymore", and Fox News is burying us in a steaming pile of lies.
However, there are some interesting observations and generalizations to be made.
According to one reputable website, "Last week in broadcast news, “NBC Nightly News With Brian Williams” averaged 7.2 million viewers. “ABC World News With Diane Sawyer” was the choice of 6.6 million, and the “CBS Evening News With Katie Couric” pulled in 4.9 million.
"In the 25-to-54 demo[graphic] last week, “Nightly News” averaged nearly 2 million viewers. “World News” averaged 1.7 million viewers and “CBS Evening News” averaged almost 1.5 million. The evening broadcast still pull in bigger audiences than those on cable news."
By far. We tend to think that Fox News has run away with the country, but it ain't so. And, if you add up who's watching the news on a weekly basis, you don't even come close to 10% of the American public.
I guess this is both good and bad news. It means the electorate is generally uninformed and vulnerable (bad). It means that the electorate may very well be malleable and persuadable (good).
Above all, it means that we-- people like you and me-- are outliers, people involved in a whole helluva lotta information that most people don't care a fig about.
And, it means that those "inside the beltway" are really crazy if they think everybody's paying attention to every little speck of dust on their cuff links.
No wonder presidential elections have a turnout of roughly 60%. What a democracy!
Then there's The Daily Show and The Colbert Report, which has viewers equal to any of the best rated shows on Fox News. Go figure.
Then there's the internet where there's little general accounting for viewing when compared to the detailed analysis provided to advertisers on television.
And can you believe this: some people still read newspapers. Who knew?
My point is simple: I will remind myself to take a deep breath when watching my favorite news programs, especially on MSNBC. Their "the sky is falling" atmosphere is just that: atmospheric. If I stumble onto Fox... well, maybe Jimmy Carter will rescue me like that guy in North Korea. (See, you know about that-- what Carter did. You're a news junkie.)
And, frankly, I'm kinda sweet on Katie Couric. Can't help it.