Do the media influence moral values?
64 percent of Americans overall believe the media are an important factor in shaping the nation’s moral values, and 33 percent say the media are a minor factor or have no influence at all on moral values. 70 percent of light TV viewers believe the media are an important factor, but the number drops to 62 percent for heavy TV viewers. 29 percent of light viewers, and 33 percent of heavy viewers, say they do not believe the media are an important influence on moral values. Do the media harm moral values? 68 percent of Americans believe the media have a negative effect on moral values in America, and only 9 percent say the media have a beneficial effect. 76 percent of light TV viewers see the media’s impact as negative, but far fewer heavy TV viewers, only 58 percent, agree. 6 percent of light viewers believe the media are helping moral values, and the number more than doubles to 14 percent for heavy viewers. What about the entertainment media? 73 percent of Americans think the entertainm
