PEW Media Study

[Sofiyya 1,687]

Public trust in US media eroding: Pew study

September 15, 2009 - 2:20AM .

Public trust in the US media is eroding and increasing numbers of Americans believe news coverage is inaccurate and biased, according to a study released on Monday.

Just 29 percent of the 1,506 adults surveyed by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press between July 22-26 said news organisations generally get the facts straight.

Sixty-three percent said news stories are often inaccurate, up from 34 percent in a 1985 study, Pew said.

Sixty percent of those polled said the press is biased, up from 45 percent in 1985. Just 26 percent in the latest survey said that news organisations are careful their reporting is not politically biased.

Seventy-four percent said news organisations tend to favor one side in dealing with political and social issues. Eighteen percent said they deal fairly with all sides.

Pew said Republicans tend to be more critical of the news media than Democrats although negative attitudes toward the news media were also increasing among Democrats.

Fifty-nine percent of those who identified themselves as Democrats said news organisations are often inaccurate, up from 43 percent just two years ago.

Two-thirds of the Democrats polled said the press tends to favor one side rather than to treat all sides fairly, up from 54 percent in 2007.

Just 20 percent of those polled said news organisations are independent of powerful people and organisations and only 21 percent said they are willing to admit their mistakes.

The poll found television remained the dominant news source for the public, with 71 percent saying they get most of their national and international news from television.

Forty-two percent said they get most of their news from the Internet compared with 33 percent who cited newspapers.

Fifty-nine percent rated news organisations as "highly professional," down from 66 percent two years ago and 72 percent in 1985.

Sixty-two percent of those polled said news organisations are being fair to the Obama administration while 23 percent said media coverage has been unfair.

Forty percent said the major cable news outlets -- CNN, Fox News and MSNBC -- were their main source for national and international news with 22 percent saying they relied on CNN, 19 percent on Fox and six percent on MSNBC.

Seventy-two percent of Republicans view Fox News positively compared with just 43 percent of Democrats.

Those polled were starkly divided along party lines when it came to The New York Times.

Republicans viewed the Times negatively by a margin of 31 percent to 16 percent while Democrats viewed it positively by 39 percent to eight percent margin.

Sixty-eight percent of those polled said it would be a major loss if large national newspapers like the Times, USA Today and The Wall Street Journal were to stop publishing.

The survey had a margin of error of between plus or minus three percentage points

[Pinocchio Liberal 268]

Fox news is the only one that is actually covering current events. Beck is rollin hard on the refounder thing, which is a great idea. As soon as the punks in washington realize they are there because we are in power and not them, things might change.

I am totally amped on the idea.

[Sofiyya 1,687]

I held my nose and watched Campbell Brown today. Wow! It was like being on another planet. Her anti-Tea Party bias is so thick, you could cut it with a knife. This is what passes for journalism at CNN. Bloody hell! I felt like taking a shower afterwards.

Edited September 15, 2009 by Sofiyya

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

If you actually use the remote and flip between news channels - you invariably find that they cover the exact same story at the exact same time, and have commercial breaks in exactly the same place.

There isn't much to choose between them to be honest. TV news is still the worst way to get comprehensive news coverage.

[thepizzadude 26]

Maybe soon they will get the point and figure out we want NEWS not SENSATIONALISM...being the first to air the story seems to be the only important thing these days. It seems they just wanna be first and will worry about the facts with an update. I hate watching any breaking news these days because by the 2nd day generally the story has been changed.

[Pinocchio Liberal 268]

If you actually use the remote and flip between news channels - you invariably find that they cover the exact same story at the exact same time, and have commercial breaks in exactly the same place.

There isn't much to choose between them to be honest. TV news is still the worst way to get comprehensive news coverage.

You got a two channel remote?

[dalegg 143]

If you actually use the remote and flip between news channels - you invariably find that they cover the exact same story at the exact same time, and have commercial breaks in exactly the same place.

There isn't much to choose between them to be honest. TV news is still the worst way to get comprehensive news coverage.

I get my news right here on VJ.

[Sofiyya 1,687]

If you actually use the remote and flip between news channels - you invariably find that they cover the exact same story at the exact same time, and have commercial breaks in exactly the same place.

There isn't much to choose between them to be honest. TV news is still the worst way to get comprehensive news coverage.

I do that and I also tape across several news shows on CNN, MSNBC and Fox on a daily basis. There is a big difference between them as far as world view is concerned, and FOX and MSNBC are at polar opposites.

[dalegg 143]

Maybe soon they will get the point and figure out we want NEWS not SENSATIONALISM...being the first to air the story seems to be the only important thing these days. It seems they just wanna be first and will worry about the facts with an update. I hate watching any breaking news these days because by the 2nd day generally the story has been changed.

Most people want sensationalism and opinion. TV execs aren't stupid. They've actually figured all of this out long ago. The more fact oriented and opinion stripped a program is, the less entertaining it is and thus the less people watch it. Its almost like you think television networks actually care about facts. They care about ratings.

[Pinocchio Liberal 268]

If you actually use the remote and flip between news channels - you invariably find that they cover the exact same story at the exact same time, and have commercial breaks in exactly the same place.

There isn't much to choose between them to be honest. TV news is still the worst way to get comprehensive news coverage.

I do that and I also tape across several news shows on CNN, MSNBC and Fox on a daily basis. There is a big difference between them as far as world view is concerned, and FOX and MSNBC are at polar opposites.

Anyone that has a clue can see the difference. MSNBC and Fox are 34 and 35 for me and I flip back and fourth from one to the other and things are quite obvious. The media is in the midst of gettin called out, lets just wait and see,

[Sofiyya 1,687]

If you actually use the remote and flip between news channels - you invariably find that they cover the exact same story at the exact same time, and have commercial breaks in exactly the same place.

There isn't much to choose between them to be honest. TV news is still the worst way to get comprehensive news coverage.

I do that and I also tape across several news shows on CNN, MSNBC and Fox on a daily basis. There is a big difference between them as far as world view is concerned, and FOX and MSNBC are at polar opposites.

Anyone that has a clue can see the difference. MSNBC and Fox are 34 and 35 for me and I flip back and fourth from one to the other and things are quite obvious. The media is in the midst of gettin called out, lets just wait and see,

I've been waiting for a call out for about 30 years.

[thepizzadude 26]

Most people want sensationalism and opinion. TV execs aren't stupid. They've actually figured all of this out long ago. The more fact oriented and opinion stripped a program is, the less entertaining it is and thus the less people watch it. Its almost like you think television networks actually care about facts. They care about ratings.

OOPS, my bad.

[Pinocchio Liberal 268]

If you actually use the remote and flip between news channels - you invariably find that they cover the exact same story at the exact same time, and have commercial breaks in exactly the same place.

There isn't much to choose between them to be honest. TV news is still the worst way to get comprehensive news coverage.

I do that and I also tape across several news shows on CNN, MSNBC and Fox on a daily basis. There is a big difference between them as far as world view is concerned, and FOX and MSNBC are at polar opposites.

Anyone that has a clue can see the difference. MSNBC and Fox are 34 and 35 for me and I flip back and fourth from one to the other and things are quite obvious. The media is in the midst of gettin called out, lets just wait and see,

I've been waiting for a call out for about 30 years.

There time has come, let see what happens. Charle Gibson just quit. He I beleive is the lil rock that starts the AVALANCHE! John Stossel just joined FOX also.

I think we be takin ownership finally!

[dalegg 143]

Most people want sensationalism and opinion. TV execs aren't stupid. They've actually figured all of this out long ago. The more fact oriented and opinion stripped a program is, the less entertaining it is and thus the less people watch it. Its almost like you think television networks actually care about facts. They care about ratings.

OOPS, my bad.

I worked for a place that made the local news one night. The next day I picked up the paper and read the same version of the story. The facts of the case were so unbelievably distorted and slanted from that day on I have never been able to believe anything I read or see on television since. Having a first hand experience of this would change anyone's opinion of TV news.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

If you actually use the remote and flip between news channels - you invariably find that they cover the exact same story at the exact same time, and have commercial breaks in exactly the same place.

There isn't much to choose between them to be honest. TV news is still the worst way to get comprehensive news coverage.

I do that and I also tape across several news shows on CNN, MSNBC and Fox on a daily basis. There is a big difference between them as far as world view is concerned, and FOX and MSNBC are at polar opposites.

Anyone that has a clue can see the difference. MSNBC and Fox are 34 and 35 for me and I flip back and fourth from one to the other and things are quite obvious. The media is in the midst of gettin called out, lets just wait and see,

How so? What do you actually think is actually happening here - newspaper circulation is down and has been for years. That isn't new and it certainly isn't groundbreaking. There may well be more criticism of broadcast news, but its popularity isn't on the wane by any means; at least not by any significant measure.

If anything things are going the other way with people's newfound reliance on spurious blogs and online op-ed writers - they aren't any less biased or any more well-researched than the mass media. If anything, they're worse.

Edited September 15, 2009 by Private Pike