The explosion of new media technologies has changed not only how presidential campaigns are waged, but how voters learn about candidates and issues. Voters are increasingly walling themselves off in information ghettos in which they read, hear and watch primarily news and views with which they already agree. We profile three South Carolina voters and their media consumption, matching up their habits against national survey data. Read the article.
Tip: As the video plays, look here for links to the media sources that are shown.
Dianne Belsom, 46
Tea Party Republican
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Afternoon
Flynn McKinney, 23
Conservative Republican
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Afternoon
Evening
James Akers Jr., 30
Moderate Democrat
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Evening
YOUR TURN
See how you compare
According to national surveys and reporting in South Carolina, while voters with well-defined ideologies tend to limit their media diet to news organizations aligned with their own views, moderates are more likely to shop around for a wider variety of news sources. Take the quiz to find out whether you regularly read the same news sources as your ideological peers.
SOURCE: Pew Research Center poll, conducted Feb. 22 to March 1, 2011, including interviews with 1,504 randomly selected adults. Margin of sampling error varies for subgroups.
Video: Evelio Contreras; writing and reporting: Marc Fisher; design and development: Kat Downs; poll analysis: Jon Cohen; motion graphics: Sohail Al-Jamea; photo of Dianne Belsom: Nikki Kahn.
South Carolina primary tracker
See South Carolina primary results as they happen and take a look at who has visited the state during the campaign.
For customized results, tell us which ideology most closely aligns with yours:
Do you regularly listen to, watch or read the following news sources?
Network TV news
Moderates make up the biggest chunk of regular viewers. Liberals make up only 20% of regular viewers.You're similar to others liberals, who make up only 20% of regular viewers. Moderates make up the largest chunk of regular viewers. Conservatives make up 35% of the regular audience for network news, more than liberals (20%), but less than moderates (39%).
Fox News
More than half of all regular viewers are conservative, four times the number of liberals. Only 14% of Fox's regular viewers are liberals. More than half of all regular viewers are conservative.Only 14% of Fox's audience is liberal. More than half of all regular viewers are conservative. Moderates make up 29% of Fox's audience. More than half of all regular viewers are conservative. You're similar to other conservatives, who make up more than half of Fox's regular viewers.More than half of all regular viewers are conservative, four times the number of liberals.
CNN
Regular viewers are about evenly split between conservative and liberals (33% to 25%). Regular viewers are about evenly split between conservative and liberals (33% to 25%). Moderates make up the largest chunk of CNN's audience (38%). Regular viewers are about evenly split between conservative and liberals (33% to 25%).
MSNBC
Regular MSNBC viewers are more apt to say they're conservative than liberal. Only 21% of regular MSNBC viewers say they are liberals. Moderates and conservatives are more likely to watch. Moderates make up the largest chunk of MSNBC's audience, though other viewers are more apt to say they're conservative than liberal. Regular MSNBC viewers are more apt to say they're conservative than liberal.
NPR
Regular NPR listeners are about evenly split between conservative and liberals (25% to 29%). Regular NPR listeners are about evenly split between conservative and liberals (25% to 29%). 43% of regular NPR listeners say they are moderate. Regular NPR listeners are about evenly split between conservative and liberals (25% to 29%).
Daily newspaper
More than 40% of all regular readers are conservative, double the number of liberals. Liberals make up half as many regular readers as conservatives. Moderates are less likely than conservatives to read the daily paper, but almost twice as likely as liberals. More than 40% of all regular readers are conservative, double the number of liberals.
The New York Times
Regular readers of the New York Times are mostly moderates and liberals. Conservatives make up only 17% of the audience. Among regular Times readers, liberals outnumber conservatives by more than 2 to 1. Regular readers of the New York Times are mostly moderates and liberals. Conservatives make up only 17% of the audience. Among regular Times readers, liberals outnumber conservatives by more than 2 to 1.
The Daily Show
The show is a liberal favorite, with only 16% of viewers identifying as conservative. The show is a liberal favorite, with only 16% of viewers identifying as conservative. Moderates make up 37% of the show's regular viewers. The largest segment of viewers is liberal. Conservatives make up only 16% of viewers, less than half of the liberal audience.
Rush Limbaugh
Conservatives make up three-fourths of Limbaugh's audience. Only 10% of regular listeners identify as liberal. Only 10% of regular listeners identify as liberal. The majority of the regular audience is conservative. Only 23% of regular listeners identify as moderate or liberal. The majority are conservative. Limbaugh is popular among conservatives, who make up 75% of his audience.
Conversation:
Where do you get your news?
Tell us if you're conservative, liberal or moderate and explain which news sources you like best and why.