My interview with WBUR’s Here & Now about the persistence of political misperceptions aired today:
When Facts Don’t Correct Misperceptions
Why do some people still believe that President Obama is a Muslim, and others that President Bush banned all stem cell research, despite news reports that disprove both stories? We speak with Brendan Nyhan, a political scientist at the University of Michigan who has researched the topic. He found that facts don’t change deeply held beliefs and that sometimes, in fact, being faced with a correction makes people believe even harder in the incorrect story.
- When Corrections Fail: The Persistence Of Political Misperceptions (PDF)
- Boston Globe: How Facts Backfire
You can listen to the audio here or as a podcast on iTunes.
I was also interviewed by New England Cable News for a story about Barney Frank’s primary opponent (a Lyndon LaRouche supporter) comparing Obama to Hitler — I first appear at about 1:35 in the segment: