Study shows ‘striking’ distrust of TV news

NEW YORK (AP) — Half of Americans believe the national media tries to mislead, misinform or convince the public to adopt a particular point of view through its coverage, according to a new study.

The poll, released Wednesday by Gallup and the Knight Foundation, goes further than previous studies that showed low trust in the media to the point that many believe it is intended to mislead.

When asked if they agreed with the statement that the national media does not try to deceive, 50% said they disagreed. Only 25% agreed, according to the study.

Similarly, 52% said they disagreed with the statement that national news communicators “care about the best interests of their readers, viewers and listeners,” the study said. 23% of respondents believe that journalists act in the public interest.

“It was quite striking for us,” said Gallup consultant Sarah Fioroni. The results showed deep-rooted mistrust and negative opinion that went beyond the foundations and processes of journalism, he said.

Journalists must go beyond promoting transparency and accuracy to show the impact of their work on the public, the study notes.

“Americans don’t seem to believe that the national media cares about the overall impact of their coverage on society,” said John Sands, director of media and democracy at the Knight Foundation.

Small consolation, in both cases, Americans trusted the local media more.

The ability of many people to catch the news instantly from a device in hand, the rapid pace of the news cycle, and the proliferation of news sources may suggest that more Americans are aware of the news than ever before.

Instead, it seems that information overload had the opposite effect. According to the study, 61% of Americans think these factors make it harder to stay informed, while 37% said it’s easier.

As in many other studies, Knight and Gallup found that Democrats trusted the media more than Republicans. Over the past five years, the level of distrust has skyrocketed among independents. A total of 55% of respondents said coverage was heavily influenced by political orientation, up from 45% in 2017.

In a finding that reflects financial difficulties at some outlets and declining viewership of TV news channels, the study showed that 32% of Americans said they pay close attention to local media, compared to 56% in beginning of 2020. It was at the start of an election year and the start of the COVID-19 outbreak in the country.

In a note on where people find information, 58% said that on the Internet, 31% mentioned television, 7% radio and 3% printed newspapers or magazines.

As for Gen Zers, ages 18-25, 88% say they watch the news online.

On a more positive note, Americans said they believed that if local media didn’t have the resources or the ability to cover the news, they would be more likely to pay for it.

Gallup surveyed 5,593 Americans ages 18 and older between May 31 and July 21, 2022.