A lot of talk around the blogosphere has centered around the results of this Pew poll. Of the many results, the one that press watchers have noted is the conclusion that CNN beat Fox as the “main source of news” about the disaster, and made the biggest viewership gains during the crisis.
To me, this says more about the poll and the sampling than anything else. Just look at the ratings. TVNewser reports Fox News owned 34 of the top 40 programs in cable news last week: “not cable news — but all of CABLE, according to Nielsen.”
How could the ratings and the Pew poll results be so at odds? And what does that say about the poll’s other findings? John Podhoretz might have the answer.
UPDATE: Wes Mantooth of the Channel 9 Evening News team writes:
You know those ratings systems are flawed. They don’t take into account houses that have, uh, more than two television sets, and other things of that nature.
I guess I have to take you at your word, number two.