Trust in the media has dropped significantly in recent years, according to a recent poll from Gallup.
According to the polling outlet, respondents were asked, “In general, how much trust and confidence do you have in the mass media – – such as newspapers, TV and radio – – when it comes to reporting the news fully, accurately and fairly – – a great deal, a fair amount, not very much or none at all?”
Only 36% of Americans said they had a “Great deal/Fair amount” of trust in the mass media, broken down as only 7% saying they have “a great deal” and 29% “a fair amount.”
In 2016, the trust in the media was at a record low at 32% — not far off from this year’s numbers.
Gallup reported:
These findings, from a Sept. 1-17 poll, are the latest in Gallup’s tracking of the public’s confidence in key U.S. institutions, which began in 1972. Between 1972 and 1976, 68% to 72% of Americans expressed trust in the mass media; yet, by 1997, when the question was next asked, trust had dropped to 53%. Trust in the media, which has averaged 45% since 1997, has not reached the majority level since 2003.
After hitting its lowest point in 2016, trust in the media rebounded, gaining 13 points in two years — mostly because of a surge among Democrats amid President Donald Trump’s antagonistic relationship with the press and increased scrutiny of his administration by the media. Since 2018, however, it has fallen a total of nine points, as trust has slid among all party groups.
There was also a divide along ideological party lines with regard to trust in the media.
“Currently, 68% of Democrats, 11% of Republicans and 31% of independents say they trust the media a great deal or fair amount. The 57-point gap in Republicans’ and Democrats’ confidence is within the 54- to 63-point range for the two groups since 2017,” Gallup noted.
This comes after a week of several news stories that seemed to spread a sense of mistrust in mainstream media and news reporting.
As reported by The Daily Wire, “In her new book, Katie Couric admits she edited a 2016 interview with Ruth Bader Ginsburg to suppress the Supreme Court Justice’s feelings about people who kneel in protest during the national anthem.”
“The former Today Show anchor reveals in her memoir ‘Going There,’ which releases October 26, that Ginsburg told her athletes who kneel during the national anthem are showing ‘contempt for a government that has made it possible for their parents and grandparents to live a decent life.’”
“Couric writes that she removed the comments from the interview, published at Yahoo five years ago because she feared the then-83-year-old justice was ‘elderly’ and ‘probably didn’t fully understand the question.’”
In addition, podcaster Joe Rogan recently called out members of the mainstream media for misrepresenting his use of the drug Ivermectin to treat COVID-19. He pressed CNN medical expert, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, over CNN’s oft-repeated claim that Rogan took horse dewormer.
“It’s a lie. It’s a lie on a news network,” Rogan responded. “And it’s a lie, that’s a willing, that’s that’s a lie that they’re conscious of, this is not a mistake.”
“Yeah,” Gupta said.
In the interview, Rogan added, “But my point is, you’re working for a news organization. If they’re lying about a comedian, taking horse medication, what are they telling us about Russia? What are they telling us about Syria? Do you understand that that’s why people get concerned about the veracity of the news?”
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not approved or authorized the use of Ivermectin to prevent or treat COVID-19.