Americans’ Confidence In Media Plummets To All-Time Low

Americans’ confidence in media, specifically in newspapers and television news, has reached record low numbers, according to a new Gallup poll out Tuesday.

As part of its annual polling of 16 major U.S. institutions, Gallup has tracked the steady decline of confidence in newspapers since 1973 and in television since 1993. In the 2022 poll, conducted June 1-20, only 16 percent of Americans have a “great deal/quite a lot of confidence in newspapers,” and 11 percent have the same degree of confidence in TV news. This leaves 46 percent of Americans with “very little/no” confidence in newspapers and a staggering 53 percent, a majority, with the same degree of confidence in television news.

At 35 percent, Democrats have higher confidence in newspapers than do Republicans (5 percent) and independents (12 percent), but it has fallen during the Biden administration. During the Trump years, Democrats ranged from 42-46 percent confident in newspapers.

A similar trend occurred among Democrats, Republicans, and independents in their attitudes toward television news, with Democrats being 20 percent confident compared to Republicans’ 8 percent and independents’ 8 percent.

This is not the only poll that has recorded Americans’ increasing distrust of the media. Other Gallup surveys — about whether Americans trust that the media will report the news “fully, accurately, and fairly,” and whether they believe reporters are ethical — both reveal very little trust.

So, lying to their audience doesn't work!
Now what?

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Heartlander · 80-89, M

It's the media that owns and controls the politicians and the political agendas.

To break the vice-like grip that the media has on the political agendas, it's the media itself that has to be exposed and turned inside out.

Handfull1 · 61-69, F

@Heartlander maybe the politicians need to be turned inside out and not be controlled! What does it say about humanity!

Heartlander · 80-89, M

@Handfull1 Yes, but it's the media that either hides or exposes their sins, or creates mortal sins out of venial sins.

It takes a renegade member of the media to expose the underbelly of the media; like Matt Drudge forcing Monica's blue dress into the open; or the National Enquirer exposing John Edwards as something other than the loving husband of Elizabeth. Yes, the same dedicated and caring husband that Oprah paraded before her TV audience.

But neither Matt Drudge nor the National Enquirer are without political bias, so goo reason to distrust them all.

Handfull1 · 61-69, F

@Heartlander you don’t think there’s political bias on both sides??

Heartlander · 80-89, M

@Handfull1 Yes, absolutely. And maybe it's but an illusion created by the media that there are two sides,

Handfull1 · 61-69, F

@Heartlander we’ll if it is, they won. The country has not been this divided in my lifetime. I’m old but not Civil War old!

Heartlander · 80-89, M

@Handfull1 Yep. But can we just say for now that they are "winning" and hold off from saying that they "won" ? :)

Handfull1 · 61-69, F

@Heartlander maybe you’re more optimistic!! But sure!

Heartlander · 80-89, M

@Handfull1 At least for a little while longer?

Hope springs eternal.