Polls: Journalists, Americans Want More Factual News

The results of two surveys released Monday (June 11th) by the Media Insight Project, one of the American public and the other of journalists, showed that both groups  agree on what they want more of in the news -- stories that are factual and give content and analysis.

However, a lot of the public doesn't feel like they're getting that, with 42 percent of Americans saying journalists go too far into commentary.

Both the public and journalists said the media should give more information about its sources, with 68 percent of Americans and 66 percent of journalists agreeing, and nearly half of the public said journalists should explain how their story was reported, as did 42 percent of journalists.

The one major exception to the general agreement between the public and journalists on what the media should be doing was on the issue of whether the press should act as a watchdog to powerful people and institutions.

Just over half of Americans said they should, compared to an overwhelming 93 percent of journalists.