Confirmed: Public Mistrusts News Media
Politicians are not the only ones struggling with flagging public opinion this election season. The press is also foundering in the favorability department, according to a survey released Friday by Harvard University's Center for Public Leadership.
News for the newsmongers is dismal.
Almost two-thirds of the respondents don't trust press coverage of the 2008 presidential campaign; 89 percent said journalists focus too much on "trivial issues"; and 77 percent think that the press is politically biased. Twelve percent rejected the media altogether, saying they "either don't trust or don't use any media source for campaign coverage."
One-quarter said the election coverage skews liberal, while 5 percent said it leans conservative and 45 percent said it does both - careening from too liberal to too conservative.
The public also appears weary of aggressive reporting on the campaign trail - 82 percent said the press has "too much influence on who Americans vote for."
News for the newsmongers is dismal.
Almost two-thirds of the respondents don't trust press coverage of the 2008 presidential campaign; 89 percent said journalists focus too much on "trivial issues"; and 77 percent think that the press is politically biased. Twelve percent rejected the media altogether, saying they "either don't trust or don't use any media source for campaign coverage."
One-quarter said the election coverage skews liberal, while 5 percent said it leans conservative and 45 percent said it does both - careening from too liberal to too conservative.
The public also appears weary of aggressive reporting on the campaign trail - 82 percent said the press has "too much influence on who Americans vote for."
Labels: Media Bias
posted by Mike McCarville @ 1:59 AM
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