Culture Trust in news collapses to historic low

Americans' confidence in newspapers and television news has plummeted to an all-time low, according to the latest annual Gallup survey of trust in U.S. institutions.
Why it matters: The erosion of trust in media is one of the most significant signs of deepening polarization in America.

• Political party affiliation has become the primary driver of opinions about the media's trustworthiness, as Gallup has noted.
• A 2021 poll from Pew Research Center found that Republicans are far less likely to trust media sources that are considered "mainstream."

Details: Television news is today considered the second-least trusted institution in the country, following Congress, according to the poll.

• While other institutions have also experienced precipitous declines, including banks and the medical system, others — like small business and the military — have held steady over the past few decades.

By the numbers: The trust fall in the news media been driven mostly by Republicans, according to the data.

• Just 5% of Republicans said they had "a great deal or quite a lot of confidence" in newspapers, compared to 35% of Democrats.
• Only 8% of Republicans said they had "a great deal or quite a lot of confidence" in TV news, compared to 20% of Democrats.
• Independents' views are generally closer to Republicans'.

The big picture: The media trust gap between Democrats and Republicans began to widen during the the Bush and Obama administrations, but grew dramatically during the Trump era and has continued to widen.

• Censorship and media bias have become a rallying cry among conservatives, prompting a slew of new media and tech investments, including alternative social media networks, entertainment companies and podcast networks.

Americans' trust in mass media

Between the lines: The lack of trust in traditional news institutions is growing as partisan voices become more accessible online.

• Data and experts suggest the public struggles to distinguish fact-based journalism from opinion content online.
• The standards used by traditional media outlets — like fact-checking, bylines, datelines, and corrections — have not been fully-adopted by online news commentators on blogs, podcasts and social media.

Yes, but: The internet can't be fully blamed for the erosion of media trust. And distrust in traditional institutions could force them to reckon with institutional problems, like a lack of diversity.

• Semafor's Ben Smith noted on stage Thursday at an event in Washington that the "single most important factor" in media distrust was "the horrible coverage" in the run-up to the Iraq war and "the disastrous media coverage in the years after 9/11," when television and newspapers were still the dominant forms of news.
• Politico founding editor and editorial chairman John Harris reminded Smith on stage that "in the old days," a handful of people at a small number of outlets had all the agenda-setting power and they "would’ve all been white men."
• "All of us have biases and that maybe true objectivity is, what does your newsroom look like? How diverse is it?" said Al Jazeera English host Femi Oke at the event.

Article

 

[No. 7 cat]

The last paragraph shows they are high on their own farts. If billionaires like Bezos tire of them, they are finished.

 

[Cpl. Long Dong Silver]

Yes the "runup to the Iraq" war and "post 9/11" are surely the cause of media distrust.

Did you fax that opinion in Ben Smith, you old faggot.

 

[Rome's rightful successor]

Yes, but: The internet can't be fully blamed for the erosion of media trust. And distrust in traditional institutions could force them to reckon with institutional problems, like a lack of diversity.

Ah, they haven't even learn a single thing.

 

[CharlesBarkley]

Probably would help if every single news article before RVW wasn't like "BLACK MAN YELLED AT! WHITE KAREN SAID SHE WAS WORRIED AND NOW BLACK MAN IS SAD" over and over. Or shit like "Rock-climbing? Racist? We investigated and found out and it has a problematic history" or dumb shit like that 24/7.

Now it's even more annoying with every article being like "Birthing People - How Abortion is making the world into a modern Hand Maids tale" and "Are tranny niggers affected by abortion? The answer might surprise you!"

 

[Amber the Hedgehog]

I agree that diversity is the anwer, diversity of thought to be exact.

Race, gender, sexuality, age and other factors don't matter, only if people working together can challenge themselves and point out blind spots. That can only happen outside of an echo chamber so stop discriminating anyone outside of hard left.

 

[Fomo Hoire]

Title sounds familiar, is this a case of a slow publication or are things getting even worse?

Source is dated 8th of July, and their Gallup source is dated July 5th. That seems rather recent.

Search brings up a related story from early 2021. That would imply that this thread is indeed about a new never before seen low instead of just delayed reporting on the low we already knew about. But, do I trust the news to be timely and not recycle stories? It took them forever to admit that ok maybe not everyone loves Biden and Harris, ok maybe car crashes were reported as wuflu, ok maybe they really do just want to abort niggers.

 

[Stabmaster Arson]

I would trust an anonymous poster on a message board with the username "epic penis breath 1488" before any mainstream outlet, even if you had a gun trained on me.

 

[Fomo Hoire]

I would trust an anonymous poster on a message board with the username "epic penis breath 1488" before any mainstream outlet, even if you had a gun trained on me.

I mean if anything, the gun should lower your trust in the wielder. It may increase performative compliance but it's not going to win anyone over unless they're into some really kinky shit.

 

[Picnic_Boy]

Ah, they haven't even learn a single thing.

It's truly schizoid thinking. There is no magical correlation between hiring more black tranny reporters and regaining public trust. In general, hiring anyone into power because they have an axe to grind seems like an incredibly bad idea.

 

[SuperShibuyaFighter]

Well duh

Journo tards still acting like its a mystery lol

 

[Stabmaster Arson]

I mean if anything, the gun should lower your trust in the wielder. It may increase performative compliance but it's not going to win anyone over unless they're into some really kinky shit.

I'm talking about a not involved third party holding the gun. Like some mad villain. "Haha Stabmaster, I have you at my mercy now. I will let you go if you can answer this one question. Who is telling the truth about the Canadian truckers? Is it CNN, or Epic Penis Breath 1488?"

I'd choose Epic Penis Breath 1488 every time and live.

 

[I'm Retarded?]

Between the lines: The lack of trust in traditional news institutions is growing as partisan voices become more accessible online.

• Data and experts suggest the public struggles to distinguish fact-based journalism from opinion content online.
• The standards used by traditional media outlets — like fact-checking, bylines, datelines, and corrections — have not been fully-adopted by online news commentators on blogs, podcasts and social media.

LMAO. it couldn't have anything to do with the way corporate news outlets use their wealth and power to whore themselves out to all the worst parties for even more power and influence i.e. the political establishment, the MIC, corporate interest groups, nah it's because Americans just don't understand facts. filthy peasant, can't you see that your pathetic blog is inferior due to its lack of a fact-checking department. it's absolutely hilarious when journoscum are stupid enough to believe their own bullshit, if I died and got reincarnated as a journalist I would blow my fucking brains out and hope to get something cooler and less parasitic on the next turn around the wheel, like a tapeworm or a botfly

 

[DapperShark]

lol I can't imagine why

 

[Damocles_Sword]

The media: "Donald Drumpflerfeurer of the small hands had 2 scoops of ice cream, IT WAS LITERALLY RAPE"

Also the media: "a laptop confirming that the then vice president's son taking millions upon millions of dollars in bribes, giving his vp father a cut, filming himself fucking child sex slaves while smoking crack and waving around illegal weapons is just too boring and we refuse to talk about it."

 

[John McAfee]

I imagine a future mass shooter would have a tough time choosing between going room to room at CNN hq fully armed, or conducting an actual insurrection on the Capitol. Nothing but upsides on both.

 

[DuckSucker]

The second you weaponized 'fake news' and admitted that yes, corporate mainstream media will falsify 'facts' for political or monetary gain, you ripped your own cock off, threw it on the ground, shot it in the head, curbstomped the remaining part, then ground it into the dust.

Way to go, hope it was worth that 'gotcha!' that didnt even land.

 

[Retink]

What kind of cuck believes what the news says?

 

[Divine right to rule]

Well duh

Journo tards still acting like its a mystery lol

It is to them.

• Semafor's Ben Smith noted on stage Thursday at an event in Washington that the "single most important factor" in media distrust was "the horrible coverage" in the run-up to the Iraq war and "the disastrous media coverage in the years after 9/11," when television and newspapers were still the dominant forms of news.
• Politico founding editor and editorial chairman John Harris reminded Smith on stage that "in the old days," a handful of people at a small number of outlets had all the agenda-setting power and they "would’ve all been white men."
• "All of us have biases and that maybe true objectivity is, what does your newsroom look like? How diverse is it?" said Al Jazeera English host Femi Oke at the event.

 

[The Ugly One]

Of course they didn't mention Rathergate, and won't, and never well, because their willingness to go to press with transparently made-up monkeyshit will never, ever be pointed to as a reason for people to lose trust in them. 2004 was when media trust crashed in the right-leaning half of the country. Before, we knew they were biased, but we assumed the things they were reporting on actually happened. Afterward, we knew they would literally make things up and fabricate evidence to try and swing elections.

The Pee Tape and Sources Familiar With The President's Thinking were just icing on the cake. Jayson Blair, Rathergate, Journolist, Hands Up Don't Shoot...they did it to themselves. And they will never, ever, ever, consider that being caught lying results in people distrusting you.