Americans name racism, video games & cable news networks like Fox News and CNN among reasons behind mass shootings – poll

A new poll has found a majority of Americans are blaming mass shootings in the US on easy access to guns and racism, but a significant portion also put networks like Fox News and CNN at fault.

Asked “how much do you blame each of the following for mass shootings?” in the wide-ranging Politico/Morning Consult poll, 69% and 67% pointed to “racism” and “easy access to guns,” respectively, as popular choices. 

For Fox News, 34% of respondents put "a lot" of, or "some blame" for, mass shootings on the network, while 16% put "not much" but some blame on the network. Another 24% said CNN bears "a lot" of, or "some blame" for, mass shootings, while another 18% said it only has some responsibility.

As is typical in polling, the numbers change when broken down by political affiliation, with 47% of Democrats putting blame on Fox News versus 29% of Independents, but only 18% of Republicans. 

Meanwhile, 32% of Republicans similarly blame CNN versus 20% of Independents and the same for Democrats. 

More significantly held at fault are things like violent video games (52% putting “a lot” or “some” blame on them) and access to mental health services (76%).

The poll also found an appetite among respondents for at least some gun control measures, with 57% saying they “strongly support” background checks on all gun purchases, 51% strongly supporting mandatory three-day waiting periods, and 58% showing the same support for banning the purchasing of firearms by individuals convicted of violent misdemeanors. Another 49% strongly support a national database tracking gun purchases and ownership. 

The poll was conducted among nearly 2,000 people and has a margin of error of plus or minus 2%.

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