Infoporn: Despite the Web, Americans Remain Woefully Ill-Informed

Patrick di Justo 06.26.07 | 2:00 AM

More than a decade after the Internet went mainstream, the world's richest information source hasn't necessarily made its users any more informed. A new study from the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press shows that Americans, on average, are less able to correctly answer questions about current events than they were in 1989. Citizens who call the Internet their primary news source know slightly less than fans of TV and radio news. Hmmm... maybe a little less Perez Hilton and a little more Jim Lehrer.

*The five questions: Who is the vice president? Who is your state's governor? Does the US have a trade deficit or surplus? Which party controls the House of Representatives? Is the chief justice of the Supreme Court a liberal, moderate, or conservative?

Source: the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press