Poll: Half of Americans Believe Nat'l Media Mislead

A new survey found that half of Americans believe that national news organizations intend to mislead, misinform or persuade the public.

More than half of the Americans surveyed, 53 percent, in the Knight Foundation and Gallup poll said they held an unfavorable opinion of the media, which was down slightly from 2020 levels.

“This study suggests that many Americans are not solely skeptical of news today — they feel distrust on an emotional level, believing news organizations intend to mislead them and are indifferent to the social and political impact of their reporting,” the report says.

The poll found that just 35 percent of those surveyed said that they think most national news organizations can be relied on to deliver necessary Information, while 72 percent said they think those organizations have enough resources and opportunities to deliver the information accurately.

The Major Takeaways:

• Only 26% of Americans have a favorable opinion of the news media, the lowest level Gallup and Knight have recorded in the past five years, while 53% hold an unfavorable view.
• Across all political affiliations, more Americans say they hold an unfavorable opinion of the news media compared to a survey conducted in late 2019-early. This rise is especially pronounced among independents but is also apparent among Democrats — who typically hold more favorable views of the media.
• Perceptions of political bias in news coverage have also increased, with independents driving the trend, followed by Republicans, then Democrats.
• Young people continue to hold more negative perceptions of the news media than older generations, confirming previous findings.
• While 72% say national news organizations have the resources and opportunity to report the news accurately and fairly to the public, only 35% say most national news organizations can be relied on to deliver the information they need.
• Thirty-five percent say most national news organizations care about how their reporting affects American society, culture and politics; fewer (23%) believe most national news organizations care about the best interests of their readers, viewers and listeners.
• Fifty percent of Americans feel most national news organizations intend to mislead, misinform or persuade the public.
• Sixty-five percent report that local news organizations have the resources and opportunity to report the news accurately and fairly to the public, and more than half of Americans say most local news organizations can be relied on to deliver the information they need.
• Fifty-three percent believe most local news organizations care about how their reporting affects their community broadly, and 47% believe most local news organizations care about the best interests of their readers, viewers and listeners.
• Forty-four percent of Americans say local news organizations do not intend to mislead, misinform or persuade the public.