Half of Americans not only don't trust the news media but think it actually intends to mislead them, according to a new survey from Gallup and the Knight Foundations. The survey included 6,000 people aged 18 and older. From the Associated Press:
Asked whether they agreed with the statement that national news organizations do not intend to mislead, 50% said they disagreed. Only 25% agreed, the study found.
Similarly, 52% disagreed with a statement that disseminators of national news "care about the best interests of their readers, viewers and listeners," the study found. It said 23% of respondents believed the journalists were acting in the public's best interests.
"That was pretty striking for us," said Sarah Fioroni, a consultant for Gallup. The findings showed a depth of distrust and bad feeling that go beyond the foundations and processes of journalism, she said.
Interestingly though, when asked about local news organizations, more than half of the respondents believe that local media "can be relied on to deliver the information they need."
Here's the report: AMERICAN VIEWS 2022: Part 2, TRUST MEDIA AND DEMOCRACY (Knight Foundation)
