Media Credibility Reaches Lowest Point in Three Decades

Gallup ^ | 9/23/2004 | Mark Gillespie

[The_Victor]

GALLUP NEWS SERVICE

PRINCETON, NJ -- As media analysts and journalists wring their hands over the fallout from CBS News' faulty reporting relative to President George W. Bush's Vietnam-era National Guard service, a new Gallup Poll finds the news media's credibility has declined significantly among the public. The Sept. 13-15 poll -- conducted after the CBS News report was questioned but before the network issued a formal apology -- found that just 44% of Americans express confidence in the media's ability to report news stories accurately and fairly (9% say "a great deal" and 35% "a fair amount"). This is a significant drop from one year ago, when 54% of Americans expressed a great deal or fair amount of confidence in the media. The latest result is particularly striking because this figure had previously been very stable -- fluctuating only between 51% and 55% from 1997-2003.

Conversely, 39% currently say they have "not very much" confidence in the media's accuracy and fairness, while 16% say they have "none at all."

Clearly, something new has happened to shake public confidence in the media, but whether that "something" is the recent CBS News controversy is a matter of speculation. One might assume that if the CBS News story were the culprit, that this would be reflected in a disproportionately large drop in confidence in the media among Republicans. However, the data on this is not conclusive. Trust in the news media is typically lower among Republicans, but all three partisan groups show a significant decline in confidence in the media since last year. It did drop by a somewhat greater degree among Republicans than Democrats, however.

[The_Victor]

LOL!

PNN bump

[BillF]

During a July 10, 2004 edition of the TV talking head show Inside Washington, Evan Thomas, Assistant Managing Editor of Newsweek, disccussed the bases of support of Kerry by saying the following, quoted in the official transcript of the show (click here):

MR. THOMAS: There's one other base here, the media. Let's talk a little media bias here. The media, I think, wants Kerry to win and I think they're going to portray Kerry and Edwards I'm talking about the establishment media, not Fox. They're going to portray Kerry and Edwards as being young and dynamic and optimistic and there's going to be this glow about them, collective glow, the two of them, that's going to be worth maybe 15 points. [emphasis added]

[GOPJ]

The MSM says they're not married to Democrats - but CBS is in bed with them... The word "whore" comes to mind. Credibility? They gotta be kidding.

[Tacis]

"Media Credibility Reaches Lowest Point in Three Decades"

NOT FOR ME, IT HASN'T!! The ultra-left wing, anti-American, blame America first, media in this country has always been at sub-sewer levels.

The media here was seized by the communists in the 30's and they've owned ever since. Sure, the Soviet communists no longer exist but the have been replaced by the neocommunists, those who still hate capitalism and want to destroy the U.S.

The journalism schools (why aren't there prostitution schools? - it is a much more useful trade than "journalism") continue to fuel the anti-Americanism.

Sure, the owners are capitalists. But, in allowing leftist to become "personalities" they shift labor costs to others.

If it weren't for talk radio, Drudge and sites like this, Rather would have easily gotten away with it again. The non-cable news, the old-timey media, is dead and will wither. The left wing media does not now nor never did have ANT credibility!!

[Jaded]

Just more java.

[EdReform]

graphic ping

[Colofornian]

Clearly, something new has happened to shake public confidence in the media, but whether that "something" is the recent CBS News controversy is a matter of speculation.

Alright. Gallup, you tempted me. I'll speculate. It was DanScam.

...but whether that "something" is the recent CBS News controversy..."

Allow me to dedicate the next song to the Dems, who are half-quoting the Beatles as they longingly sing:

Beatles: "Something in the way Dan moves; Distracts me like no other DNC cover; Something in the way he woos Kerry; I don't want Dan to leave now; You know I believe him now;

"Somewhere in his file he knows; That we need more Mapes doc makeovers; Something in his style that shows me; Don't want to leave Dan now; You know I believe him now;

"You’re asking me will my denial grow? I don’t know, I don’t know You stick around DU & it will show I don’t know, I don’t know

"Something in the way Dan knows And all he has to do is visualize Something in the things he shows me Don’t want to leave him now You know I believe him now

[Gibtx]

News organizations need to be compared to used car salesmen for the foreseeable future.... we can help do that by cartoons and postings.... lets make sure they don't recover..

[pepperdog]

Good Grief! 59% of the Dims still believe the MSM, it is horrifying. I hate that a large percentage of our citizens are lied to on a daily basis and evidently have not a clue.

[Colofornian]

One might assume that if the CBS News story were the culprit, that this would be reflected in a disproportionately large drop in confidence in the media among Republicans...It did drop by a somewhat greater degree among Republicans than Democrats...

It wasn't so much a drop, as a trust shift. Informally dressed news hounds (the anti-tie, pajama-clad agenda jammers) tend to trump the agenda-ridden, corporate suits.

However, the data on this is not conclusive. Trust in the news media is typically lower among Republicans, but all three partisan groups show a significant decline in confidence in the media since last year.

Well, if you were an avid Rather news fan as an independent or liberal, your confidence would drop, too.

[Carling]

The 6% of conservatives that think the MSM is too liberal need to have their heads examined

I was thinking the exact same thing.

[PosterQue]

This is now my desktop wallpaper!

Thanks!!

[KC_Conspirator]

1) Re-election of GWB
2) Repudiation of the mainstream media (via the election).

I feel the same way this year. I also felt the same way in 2000. However, in 2004 Kerry is surely the media pick.

They met in Al Franken's apartment 2 weeks before the Iowa caucuses to come up with the "I am electable" slogan for Kerry that saved his campaign. They used Abu Gharaib to attack Bush. The media put out scores of anti-Bush books. You have the Gang of 500. Polls show 90% of the media supports Kerry. They ignored the Swift Boat Vets and then impugned them when their ads were successful.

Then they came with the biggest hoax story in 20 years - during time of war in order to influence an election, mind you. Using forged documents to smear the president. I hate them all.

[One4Indictment]

My email to CBS...

You know what really gives me the "warm fuzzies" in this whole Rathergate debacle? It's the fact that CBS in its rabid, vitriolic attempt to smear our President with forged TxANG memos in an attempt to affect the outcome of this November's Presidential election, has probably played a big part in assuring the re-election of President Bush. I'm so giddy about the whole thing. It's the epitome of POETIC JUSTICE. Anyone with an ounce of sense knows CBS iS liberally biased and wants nothing more than to promote and perpetuate your liberal agenda. Your shameless arrogance has backfired and I'm in full GLOAT mode. I do want Dan Rather fired over this scandal, but not before November 2 when he sits in his Anchor chair at CBS and announces to the world that George W. Bush has been re-elected President of the United States. Wow, I cannot contain my glee in thinking of this scenerio. Remember the movie, "The Hunt For Red October"? Toward the end of the movie when one of the Russian subs commanded by Commander Tupolev tracks down the Red October to sink her. Commander Tupolev fires a torpedo to sink Red October, but through evasive manuevers and countermeasures the torpedo fired by Tupolev doubles back and hits the very sub it was fired from. But before the impact of the topedo into Tupolev's sub, Tupolev's second in command says to Tupolev, "You Arrogant ass...You've killed us!" I cannot think of a greater anology than that. CBS and Rather in your attempt to smear President Bush and affect the outcome of the elections have killed yourselves...and I'm LOVIN' IT!!

[KC_Conspirator]

Remember the Russians took the safeties off their torpedos, just like CBS.

[Uncle Hal]

The good news here is that the public understands the media leans liberal and are biased for the Democrats and against the GOP. It could not have come at a better time.