The chart above is made from information in a recent Gallup Poll (conducted between June 5th and 8th of a random national sample of 1,027 adults, with a 4 point margin of error).
This should bother the news media. In a democracy they have one of the most important jobs -- keeping the people informed so they can make knowledgeable decisions. But people across the political spectrum think the media is failing in their mission. The conservatives give a slight edge to TV news, while liberals, moderates, and the general population gives a slight edge to newspapers.
But the truth is that most Americans think both the TV news and newspapers are doing a poor job, and only about one out of every five Americans has confidence in the news media. I agree with the 80% or so who have little confidence in the media, because I think that media has to a large extent abandoned investigative journalism in favor of presenting corporate propaganda (which is not surprising since most of the mainstream media is owned by a handful of corporations).
TV news presents an illusion of being fair -- by bringing a Republican and a Democrat on to throw accusations and lies at each other (without doing any fact-checking of what they say). They also ignore the opinions and positions of other parties (such as the Green Party and the Libertarian Party) and Independents -- as though the policies of the Democrats and Republicans are the only ones worth considering. While the media should be informing Americans, they are instead acting as gatekeepers (so only corporate-approved ideas are reported).
It is a shame that there is so much disrespect for the media -- but they have brought it on themselves by refusing to carry out the sacred mission they have been entrusted with.
NOTE -- The public doesn't have much confidence in internet news either (19%).
First time I really sat up and took notice of the failure of journalistic integrity and especially of our Public Radio stations broadcasting failure to do any real in-depth reporting was when George W Bush was president. I was amazed at the total silence about his policies, his administration, and the lack of any investigative reporting on his and his cabinet's claims of WMDs leading up to the Iraq war, the numerous changes in "our reasons" for going to war, the disregard for the international community's reluctance to assist the Bush administration's invasion of Iraq, and its push against the United Nations Security Council's declaration of the illegality of the US invasion with a "coalition of the willing". But that seemed to be the beginning of the new "Guilded Age" here in the US and the Koch brothers corporate reign of terror. I don't blame anyone for not trusting the news media, print or TV or radio. And with the SCOTUS ruling that Fox News reporting DID NOT have to be accurate or factual, I'm afraid the news media has hammered in the last nail on their journalistic coffins.
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