A recent survey found that half of Americans believe the national news outlet tries to mislead, misinform, or persuade the public through its reporting to adopt a particular point of view.
The poll, released Wednesday by Gallup and the Knight Foundation, surpassed other findings showing a lack of trust in the media, with the surprising result that many believe it is intended to be misleading.
When asked if they agreed with the statement that the national press had no intention of misleading, 50% said they disagreed. According to the survey, only 25% agree.
Similarly, 52% disagreed with the statement that national news stations “put the interests of their readers, viewers and listeners first.” 23% of respondents believe journalists act in the public interest.
“It was quite a surprise to us,” said Gallup consultant Sarah Fioloni. The results point to a deep distrust and ill-feeling that extends beyond the basics and processes of journalism.
According to the study, journalists must go beyond transparency and accuracy to show the impact of their reporting on the public.
John Sands, Knight’s senior director of media and democracy, said, “Americans don’t seem to think national news outlets care about the overall impact of their reporting on society. ’ said.
As a little consolation, Americans trust local news more in both cases.
With more people getting the news instantly from their devices, faster news cycles, and more news sources, more Americans know the news than ever before. You know.
Information overload, on the other hand, seems to have had the opposite effect. The survey found that 61% of Americans thought these factors made it harder to get information, and 37% said it made it easier.
Like many other studies, Knight and Gallup found that Democrats trust the news more than Republicans. Over the past five years, distrust has increased, especially among independents. Overall, 55% said coverage was heavily politically biased, up from 45% in 2017.
Reflecting the financial difficulties of some news outlets and the declining viewership of television news networks, the survey found that 32% of Americans pay more attention to local news than in 2020. It turned out that it decreased from 56% at the beginning. It is the beginning of the presidential election year and the start of the COVID-19 outbreak.
When asked how people get their news, 58% said the Internet, 31% said television, 7% said radio, and 3% said printed newspapers and magazines.
According to the survey, 88% of Gen Zers aged 18–25 get their news online.
Olive fruit says that Americans are more likely to pay if they don’t think they have the resources or the opportunity to reach out to local news outlets.
Findings are based on a Gallup survey of 5,593 Americans ages 18 and older conducted between May 31 and July 21, 2022.
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