A new study from the Pew Research Center’s annual “State of the Media” shows that MSNBC relies more on opinion coverage than any of its rivals. The study was released Monday and a section of the report talks about the changes in TV news over the last five years.
Since 2007, Fox News, CNN, and MSNBC have cut back on the amount of actual reporting aired on their networks. These networks have begun using cheaper, more provocative debate forums or interviews to grab ratings. MSNBC was the network that stood out from the rest though. According to PEW:
CNN, which has branded itself around reporting resources and reach, cut back between 2007 and 2012 on two areas tied to that brand—in-depth story packages and live event coverage. Even so, CNN is the only one of the three big cable news channels to produce more straight reporting than commentary over all. At the other end of that spectrum lies MSNBC, where opinion fills a full 85% of the channel’s airtime.
According to the survey, Fox News spent 55 percent of time on opinion and 45 percent on reporting the news. Let us know your thoughts about this survey in our comments section at the bottom of the page.