News is often seen as the 4th check on the government. Freedom of press assures this check’s integrity, as scandals and misdeeds on the part of the government are exposed by this (mostly) uncensored press. The press used to be in the form of newspapers, but has evolved along with technology. In 1980, CNN was created, the first 24 hour network news channel. CNN revolutionized the news landscape, and has since spawned many imitators. Generally, these networks have competed with one another in order to “get to the scene first,” and report the news in the most integral way. However, just as technology changes, so do reporting techniques. A recent report by the Pew Research Center(PRC) details the State of the Media in 2013.

Ever wondered which news channel is dealing in facts? The PRC compiled some data, and found that CNN dealt in the most facts of the “Big Three,” with Fox following close behind, and MSNBC coming in last. Some other interesting facts about Network News today:

• Factual information decreased among all networks as the day went on, with opinion taking its place.

• Daytime live news coverage has dropped by one third since 2007.

• The average length of a story has remain relatively unchanged since 2007.

• Evening news is seeing a large growth in interviews, as opposed to straight reporting.

• MSNBC is the most political of all three, but CNN is the most international, having 21% of all its stories focused on something international.

 

Keep all this in mind as you choose which news source to inform yourself with. If you are looking for a highly editorialized, but political channel, choose MSNBC. If you’re looking for a more objective and international source, choose CNN. If you’re looking for something in the middle, watch Fox.