Poll: Getting facts right key to Americans' trust in media

Associated Press ^ | 4/17/2016 | CAROLE FELDMAN and EMILY SWANSON

[Beave Meister]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Trust in the news media is being eroded by perceptions of inaccuracy and bias, fueled in part by Americans' skepticism about what they read on social media.

Just 6 percent of people say they have a lot of confidence in the media, putting the news industry about equal to Congress and well below the public's view of other institutions. In this presidential campaign year, Democrats were more likely to trust the news media than Republicans or independents.

But trust today also goes beyond the traditional journalistic principles of accuracy, balance and fairness.

Faced with ever-increasing sources of information, Americans also are more likely to rely on news that is up-to-date, concise and cites expert sources or documents, according to a study by the Media Insight Project, a partnership of The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and the American Press Institute.

[Beave Meister]

Whaaaaaat.....

[Zeppo]

"The most important thing that news organizations can do is be accurate, and while we know that is a high value, this study reinforces that," said Margaret Sullivan, public editor of The New York Times.

That's good for a laugh.

Margaret Sullivan works overtime to protect the ultra-leftwing bias of the NY Times from meaningful scrutiny. She is an unapologetic apologist for the NY Times' journalistic malpractice.

[Tzimisce]

We in the media are not biased.

If you racist, sexist, homophobic, ignorant hatemongers were smarter, you’d know that.

[Fhios]

perceptions of inaccuracy and bias, fueled in part by Americans' skepticism about what they read on social media.

What's the other part? Lying and political bias towards a party or individual for goodwill and valuable considerations. Social media has it's fruitcakes with conspiracy theories and egregious slights perceived or otherwise, but that crowd tends to stick together, being nuts from the same tree. The establishment just doesn't like hostile scrutiny.

[jsanders2001]

The MSM is effectively the propaganda directorate for the current administration. People have seen through their lies and it’s costing them ad revenue now so they want to change...riiiggghhhttt...

[sparklite2]

The media, and especially AP, have been democrat operatives with bylines long before there was anything called social media.

[al_c]

Trust? Media?! LOL!!!!!!

[wastedyears]

“Perception”

[Dr. Sivana]

If the Associate Press wants credibility, it ould be helpful if the writers knew how to write and the editors knew how to edit.

In this presidential campaign year, Democrats were more likely to trust the news media than Republicans or independents.

When I read that sentence the first time, after reading a paragraph describing the low level of trust the general public has in the media, my first impression was that regardless of how untrusted the news media are, Democrats trust them more than they trust Republicans or independents.

After reading the sentence again, I concluded that this was not the idea that the author was trying to convey. It is better to write the sentence clearly in the first place.

[Navy Patriot]

Trust in the news media is being eroded by perceptions repeatedly proven and overwhelming instances of inaccuracy and bias, fueled in part by Americans' skepticism about what they read on social media. Just 6 percent of people say they have a lot of confidence in the media, about the same percentage as morons in society, putting the news industry about equal to Congress and well below the public's view of other institutions.

[Helvan]

Under Obama the American media has moved from simple lying and bias to Soviet-style ritualistic humiliation of the proletariat through the endless repetition of untruths, eg; Ahmed the Amazing Clock Boy.

[ops33]

Just out of curiosity, in the history of our Republic, when has the media not been biased to one degree or another?

[LMAO]

Just out of curiosity, in the history of our Republic, when has the media not been biased to one degree or another?

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Never. The difference is there is more media outlets and access than in days past