US media trust
September 10th, 2012 at 2:00 pm by David FarrarPew has done a further annual survey of faith in news media in the US. The scores for net believability are:
- Local TV news +30
- 60 minutes +29
- ABC News +18
- WSJ +17
- CNN +16
- CBS +14
- Daily newspaper +14
- NBC +11
- NPR +5
- MSNBC +0
- New York Times -1
- Fox News -2
- USA Today -2
Interesting that Fox News is viewed as basically as reliable as the New York Times and USA Today.
All media outlets have declined significantly over time in reliability.
Tags: Media, United States
September 10th, 2012 at 2:08 pm
I imagine the faith in NY Times is more reflective of last years decision to start charging for their online content rather than their quality of their journalism. Would be interested to see the difference between print and online believability. Also, I note the absence of the Post.
Local TV news trust, not surprising. Americans abhor anything at the national level, when there is a state-level equivalent.
Vote:September 10th, 2012 at 2:14 pm
MSNBC 0?????
Vote:Crazy as crazy you can get. MSNBC is a bastion of the left and they admit it.
To call it neutral diminishes the results of the poll.
September 10th, 2012 at 2:20 pm
Going to disagree with you there. There is strong distrust of the NY Times by those inclined toward the Republicans. The strong left wing bias of the newspaper is quite evident, and was even alluded to openly by their public interest advocate type person just recently.
Fox News’ viewer numbers outstrip the rest by a huge margin. MSNBC is very much an also-ran, although a very shrill also-ran.
Vote:September 10th, 2012 at 2:23 pm
The best ‘real’ result would be HOW many people actually watch or read each (raw data), rather than a sample poll of people extrapolated out to represent everyone.
Vote:September 10th, 2012 at 2:28 pm
facepalm…
MSNBC = 0 doesn’t mean they are rated as “neutral”…. it means the number of people who trust them more or less balances the number who don’t trust them.
Vote:September 10th, 2012 at 2:29 pm
PEW Research is in bed with PBS.
In NZ context, that is like Red Radio, David.
Get off the grass!
I agree with FES. I would add Washington and LA Times to the overtly liberal crazy print media list.
Vote:September 10th, 2012 at 2:39 pm
That is an interesting point: can we read anything into the fact that, in the USA, the NY Times, in the UK, the Guardian, and, in Australia, Fairfax, are the top purveyors of left wing news and information and all are in financial difficulties?
Meanwhile, in the USA, at least, Fox News often has a viewership greater than CNN and MSNBC combined, and in Australia, News Limited owns 30% of the newspaper publishers but sells around 70% of the newspapers on any one day.
I wonder what we can take from that?
Vote:September 10th, 2012 at 2:57 pm
All media outlets have declined significantly over time in reliability.
Not quite true, local TV news went from 68% credibility in ’02 to 65% in ’12.
But what this research really highlights is the huge schism and polarisation appearing in the creditability of National networked US media dependent on whether you are a Rep. or Dem.
Vote:September 10th, 2012 at 3:34 pm
F E Smith………… I think what we can take from your comments at least is that you delight in the ultra fanatical right wing hatefulness of ‘Fair and Balanced’ Fox……..just sayin.
Vote:September 10th, 2012 at 4:21 pm
Chinarugby,
I have no idea how you got to that opinion at all from what I have said. I pointed out that some major left wing newspaper outlets are in financial difficulty, and then that Fox News in the USA often has a far greater viewership than its left wing competitors.
Both are statements of fact. Your view comes across as an example of playing the man, not the ball, and even then done in a weak and ludicrous manner.
Moreover, your use of the words ‘ultra fanatical right wing hatefulness’ shows you up as being a complete leftard, unable to see straight through the veil of hate that so often permeates the mind of such people. Far from being an attack on either myself or Fox News, you simply seem to be looking in the mirror…
Vote:September 10th, 2012 at 5:34 pm
From Pew:
I would be interested to see the Rep vs Dem respondent split. Given the assessment above I would hope it was close to 50:50.
Vote:September 10th, 2012 at 5:53 pm
4:21 – Love it. Smart Arse newbie becomes Second Arse newbie after FES rips him/her a new one.
Vote:September 10th, 2012 at 7:56 pm
F E Smith 2:39pm – “I wonder what we can take from that?”
… That the US is full of die-hard republicans (see the Pew political spectrum link), and that Fairfax is a crap news provider, no matter where you sit on the political spectrum?
Vote:September 11th, 2012 at 8:09 am
CNN +17? Where does that come from? Maybe from people who only watch CNN?
Vote:September 11th, 2012 at 2:24 pm
I think Fox news do need to up their game. Whether that would change their score or not is an open question, as they’re the target of a lot of abuse.
Vote: