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Saturday, February 18, 2023
Half of Americans believe the national media are trying to mislead, misinform or convince the public to adopt a particular point of view through their coverage, according to a new study.
The poll, released Wednesday by Gallup and the Knight Foundation, goes beyond previous studies that showed low trust in the media to the point that many believe it is intended to mislead.
When asked if they agree with the statement that the national media is not trying to mislead, 50 percent said they disagreed. Only 25% agreed, according to the study.
Similarly, 52% said they disagreed with the statement that national news communicators “care about the best interest of their readers, viewers and listeners,” the study indicated. 23% of respondents believe journalists are acting in the public interest.
“That was very striking to us,” said Sarah Fioroni, a Gallup consultant. The findings showed entrenched distrust and negative views that went beyond the fundamentals and processes of journalism, he said.
Journalists must go beyond promoting transparency and accuracy to show the impact of their work on the public, the study noted.
In addition, the survey asked about the ability of many people to receive news instantly from a device in their hands, the fast pace of the news cycle and the proliferation of information sources.
The result indicates that information overload has had a negative effect. According to the study, 61 percent of Americans believe these factors make it harder to stay informed, while 37 percent said it is easier.
As in many other studies, Knight and Gallup found that Democrats trust the media more than Republicans. Over the past five years, the level of distrust has skyrocketed among independents. In all, 55 percent of respondents said coverage was heavily influenced by political bias, up from 45 percent in 2017.
On a note about where people find the news, 58% said on the internet, 31% mentioned television, 7% radio and 3% print newspapers or magazines.