New Yorkers recognize that we live in polarizing times — and they see a 24-hour news cycle as well as social media sites helping to contribute to it.
A poll released Thursday by Siena College found 65 percent of New Yorkers say people in the United States are more partisan or politically divided than ever before.
And some blame is being cast on the incessant news cycle.
The poll, by a margin of 44 percent to 21 percent, found New Yorkers believe the 24/7 news cycle contributes to less health level of debate and civic involvement.
That includes pluralities for national cable news channels.
New Yorkers felt that was especially true for Fox News, seen as conservative leaning and has commentators who are friendly to President Donald Trump: 47 percent of New Yorkers surveyed believe the channel is contributing to an unhealthy level of partisanship, more so than CNN and MSNBC.
Social media networks are also seen as contributing to unhealthy levels of partisanship as well: 40 percent believe Facebook is contributing to “unhealthy level” of partisanship, 38 percent of New Yorkers say the same for Twitter, the poll found.
The poll found pluralities of 33 percent and 39 percent believe themselves to be left of center or very left of center on economic, fiscal and social issues — not wholly surprising given the Democratic composition of New York’s overall voter enrollment.
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