During that time, Republicans stating that they believed all or most of CBS' reports fell 12 percent, to 15 percent. I am actually surprised 15% of Republicans actually believe CBS. I thought it was an article of faith among conservatives that CBS was a traitorous organization that had to be destroyed.
With respect to CNN, their credibility among Republicans fell 7 percent, to 26 percent. Again, not a surprise to me, as conservatives commonly call CNN the 'Communist News Network. But here is what surprised me:
...and the percentage [of Republicans] who had faith in their local newspaper fell from 21 percent to 16 percent.
Now, this is shocking...largely due to the fact that most local small town newspapers, especially in heartland places like Ohio, Indiana, Alabama, Kansas and the like, tend to be more conservative. Sure the big newspapers like the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Los Angeles Times are liberal propaganda outlets in the conservative mind. But now conservatives are not even believing their own small town conservative papers.
Why? Have all of these local papers suddenly become liberal? No.
It is because these newspapers reported the truth. Facts. Or at the very least facts and truth that run counter to conservative beliefs. How do I know this?
The editors at the Atlantic did not make the connection but I will:
Since 2004, fewer Americans overall report paying attention to international news (particularly from Iraq), but the drop-off in both categories is sharper among Republicans. In April 2004, 59 percent said they were following Iraq "very closely," but by April 2006, that share had fallen to just 41 percent..."
What happened between April 2004 and April 2006? Well, in April 2004, Iraq was already in a handbasket headed towards Hell. By April 2006, Iraq decided to FedEx the handbasket past Hell to some unimaginable place worse than Hell.
And as that was happening, as the facts of the matter, the truth of Iraq, were shown on CBS, CNN, and in their local conservative newspapers, the Republican mind shut down. Hence the drop in viewership and readership. Indeed, the local conservative small town newspaper is exactly the place where you would find the truth about the real consequence of this war. When a soldier dies in small town America, it is big news. Front page news. You cannot escape the horror of war in a small town.

Republicans cannot comprehend, accept or adapt to information that is in conflict with their ideological, spiritual or political beliefs. They are rigid, inflexible, and irrational when their preconceptions are challenged by facts.
And now we have evidence of that.
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