When MSNBC or Fox News airs in public places, how do people react?

[packman]

First, audiences will often overestimate the influence of media on the other people in the room, while underestimating how broadcasts influence their own views and beliefs.

This is called the “third-person effect,” and it’s most likely to happen when people don’t want the media to influence other people.

For example, say a conservative woman who is a regular viewer of Fox News dines at a restaurant that has MSNBC playing. She’s more likely to think that the broadcast wields power over the other customers, without taking into account the effect that her own regular consumption of Fox News has on her own views.

When you think your views are in the minority, you’re more likely to be passive in your response to media. So if a liberal goes to a barbershop in a conservative city like Colorado Springs and hears Rush Limbaugh on the radio, they’ll be less likely to ask the barber to switch the station or start a conversation about politics.

This isn’t exactly a good thing. Scholars believe that when you believe you hold attitudes that are out of step with the majority, it can lead to a “spiral of silence,” in which you’re less likely to express personal opinions for fear of rejection.


I live in a very conservative area and have - at a dentist's office, a tire shop, and a hospital waiting room - asked for a channel change. I must admit I had to screw up my courage each time to do so, but felt better when done.

https://theconversation.com/when-msnbc-or-fox-news-airs-in-public-places-how-do-people-react-102153

[TheBlackAdder]

1. I live in a Dem area and there's a pizza place with Faux Noise on 24x7. Very few eat there.

.

I ate there a couple of times, but got sick of the shit when they would turn the volume up.

The guy was wondering what he could do to increase traffic. I suggested changing the channel. He refused.

Fuck 'em. We don't go back there.

.

[Dave Starsky]

15. He is a poor restauranteur.

Restaurants are a tough business, from the very start. To eliminate 70% of your market (everyone that needs to eat) by playing that shit in the dining room is business suicide. Play sports or music videos, or better yet, have no TVs and let your customers enjoy their meals in peace.

But that might be hard if the food at your restaurant is just awful.

[zipplewrath]

2. Absolutely

I work in VERY conservative environment. I have made it clear that I am the "liberal" in the room. (To these folks, anyone left of Hannity is a "liberal". But I generally avoid commenting. Occasionally I'll post a piece of some meme or op-ed on the cubical wall. Mostly I don't say much. It had more to do with professionalism and concern about advancement. These days, it's about not bothering to argue with fools. I did blow up at a guy at a retirement luncheon the other day. I think I posted about it. The guy called Trump his "Hero".

Strangely, as much as I know these nuts are very conservative and all voted for the Twitter in Chief, I have notice they don't say much these days. They are very uncomfortable. They are visibly embarrassed by his tweets. There is an odd tradition in our office. Instead of a normal morning greeting, it is common to make some snarky comment as a greeting. "Traffic sucks". "Weather is Shitty". Anything about the day. It can be about a local sports team's performance. I've started making applicable variations of Trump's Tweets. I did the whole "Covfefe" thing. I've been inserting "sad" in a dramatic way into things. I had a field day with "truth isn't truth". They are VISIBLY uncomfortable. I'll admit I don't push it as much as maybe I could. But I do notice I don't get alot of HRC comments or Obama comparisons in return. This is notable because during Bush and Obama, any comment was met with the "whattabout" argument every time.

[BigmanPigman]

4. Your coworkers act as a barometer for

the typical conservative mindset at a given time. It will be interesting to see how much they change, what events triggered second thoughts and when they eventually wake up and stop drinking the Kool Aid.

[zipplewrath]

5. They won't

Think about it. How "bad" would the Dem Nominee have to be, and how "good" would the GOP nominee have to be to get you to vote the other way. They are voting for an idea, not a person.

[BigmanPigman]

7. The moron's cult is a "cult of personality".

He isn't representative of GOP ideals. The GOP hated him until they all were forced to back him as their candidate. He was chosen by people who like his personality and attitude and are racist bullies themselves. If Pence or any other true GOP conservative were to take his place the cult would not be nearly as large or as devoted to him.

[zipplewrath]

9. yabbut

the people around me didn't nominate him. They are marginally the "never trump" crowd. But now that he's there, they like his legislative and regulatory accomplishments. They are only marginally "concerned" about his foreign policy. Furthermore, they voted for him once he was the nominee. They were never going to vote for HRC or Bernie, or really another Obama. There were republicans who voted for Obama over McCain, but not where I work. They all voted for Romney. They all voted for Trump. And the Dem's could nominate the Pope, and they'd vote for Trump. They aren't devoted to him, they are devoted to the GOP being in charge.

[BigmanPigman]

10. Oh, I see. That's too bad.

I feel badly for you having to work in that atmosphere. I was a teacher in CA and union rep and 90% of the teachers on my site were Dems. The GOP voters were known and we could never count on their support and frankly didn't associate with them very much.

[zipplewrath]

11. It's the cult of ideals

We aren't much better around here (except of course our ideals are right and theirs are wrong). But once you buy into the concept of "my party is always better than their's" there is no room for "that guy is nuts, even if he says the right things". I do wonder if many of them just might not vote at all if the democrats put up something of a reasonable candidate. There is a group of voters on both sides who either end up voting 3rd party, or not at all, merely to be able to say "I didn't vote for that guy". I think HRC suffered an inordinate amount of that, especially among people that decided she was already going to win.

[BigmanPigman]

12. I know someone who wrote in Birney

since they though Hillary was a shoe in. The lesson is "NEVER ASSUME".

I have voted in every single election since I was 18 (local to federal) and I only wrote in a name once...for the local school board since I knew all of the candidates from experience and wasn't a fan by any means.

[zipplewrath]

13. I warned people

I understand the point and strategy of "protest votes". But make sure you either are truly sure how the election will come out, or you won't mind who actually wins. Otherwise, you're taking one heck of a risk. Elections have been won by very slim margins.

[BigmanPigman]

14. Hear, hear!

[RhodeIslandOne]

17. To a righty anyone not in love with Trump....

....is a libbrul Dumbocrat, meaning about 75% of the country are bad.

[ScratchCat]

3. Here in north Florida

We had a very popular buffet restaurant change its tv's from FNC to CNN back around 2009/2010 or so due to the fact that at least half their customers are African-American and due to FNC's unabashed bigotry towards Obama. Very few places have tv's on FNC around here. You go into "Joes Auto Repair", you might find it on. Anything short of a business like that, its CNN/HLN, MSNBC, TWC or ESPN.

[drbtg1]

6. It's extremely rare to find a TV on MSNBC in public around here

Faux Noise, yes, I've seen that at the gym, shoe store, food store, all places where other non-news channels would be an obvious choice to put on (i.e. at the gym, play ESPN; at the food store, play Food Network).

[ProfessorGAC]

8. I Think Many Business Are Catching On

Doctor offices, banks, mechanic joints, hair salons, etc. I almost never see the news on the TVs anymore.

Real common to see Home and Garden, or one of the cooking channels, or just local broadcasts.

Used to see the news channels on a lot, but less and less.

[RhodeIslandOne]

16. My barber is a young "libertarian"

He often has FOX News on and doesn’t like to watch ESPN News because “they always make it about race”.

It’s uncomfortable. I don’t like watching FAUX liars and try to time my visits when Shep Smith is on because he’s the only honest person there.