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OPINION: Trust In The Media Is At An All-Time Low, Reports The Columbia Journalism Review

Posted on Thursday, April 4, 2019
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by Anthony Sellitti
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36 Comments
media news trust journalism

WASHINGTON, DC – The nearly two-year-long Mueller investigation sent left leaning reporters and news organizations on a futile fishing expedition. In the end it provided further evidence of biased reporting when the results of the probe did not prove collusion on the part of President Trump. Meanwhile, a new survey conducted for the Columbia Journalism Review [CJR] showed that the level of trust in mainstream news sources is at an all-time low and that the end may be near for print journalism.

“It’s no wonder the public’s trust in the media has eroded,” says Brent Bozell, President of the Media Research Center near Washington, DC.  “For nearly two years, liberal talking heads and reporters pushed the narrative that President Trump was guilty of ‘collusion.’  When Trump was exonerated, the media collectively reversed course.  It’s unfortunate that dishonest, one-sided journalism has become the norm.  Thankfully, the American public see right through it,” Bozell added.

CJR partnered with Reuters/Ipsos for the poll of 4,214 adults, which found that the media is at the bottom of the list of institutions in which the public has trust.  Interestingly, the researchers noted that Democrats apparently are the only demographic group that “expressed positive confidence in the press.”

Meanwhile, a veteran, mainstream journalist, former CBS News correspondent Lara Logan, has accused her colleagues in the media of an outright leftist bias in their reporting.

“Logan confirmed what we already knew: ‘all the [media] coverage all the time on Trump is negative’,” says Dan Weber, president of the Association of Mature American Citizens [AMAC].  “Perhaps that is why Democrats have a favorable view of journalists, while most Americans say they don’t trust them.”

Logan expressed the notion that the media, at large, has an anti-Trump bias during an interview with Mike Ritland on his Mike Drop Podcast recently.  She pointed out that “85 percent of journalists are registered Democrats.”

This is no surprising revelation, says Weber.  “We’ve always known that the media leans left.  Even the Washington Post admits that ‘the characterization of mainstream media newsrooms as left-leaning hives indeed has documentary backing.’  What’s new is that the media has abandoned its pretense of being impartial and open-minded.  As Logan put it, reporters have ‘become political activists in a sense and, some could argue, propagandists.’  That’s the scary part.”

Just how prevalent is media bias?  According to Investor’s Business Daily [IBF], “pretty much all of journalism now leans left.”  Citing a Rasmussen poll conducted last fall, the newspaper reports that 45% of the likely voters” in the midterm elections believed “that when most reporters write about a congressional race, they are trying to help the Democratic candidate.”

Investor’s Business Daily also cited a study conducted by Arizona State University and Texas A&M University that showed even the majority of financial journalists now identify themselves as “somewhat liberal” or “very liberal.”  Four-hundred-sixty-two financial reporters were surveyed and more than 58% of them turned out to be overwhelmingly liberal.  Not long ago financial journalists had a reputation as “the most right-leaning and free-market-oriented among mainstream journalists.”

The study found that “liberal journalists are more likely to say it’s important that financial journalism promotes social or economic justice, which suggests that political persuasion impacts business reporting.  It also discovered that liberal reporters outnumbered conservatives by 13 to one and that they felt that “promoting social or economic justice is an important objective of journalism.”

Seton Hall University professor of journalism Matthew Pressman says journalistic objectivity began to evolve during the McCarthy Hearings of 1954.  And, in the 1960s the definition of objective reporting changed.  Political activism became more pervasive and anti-war, equal rights and other protest movements were initiated.  Journalists routinely began to report not “just the facts,” adding analysis and interpretation in their reports.

“This new understanding of objectivity attempted to draw a line between journalists’ professional judgments (O.K. to include in a news report) and their personal opinions (not O.K.),” Pressman explains.

News reporters are bound by a code of ethics, according to Weber.  “They are supposed to stick to the facts.  They should not be taking advantage of the stories they are covering to promote personal agendas.  Editorials are for the editorial pages.  It’s bad enough that anyone with a computer, a basic knowledge of grammar and a vivid imagination can be a reporter these days by posting so-called news stories on the Internet.  But when mainstream reporters do it, we all lose.  We lose confidence in the purpose and accuracy of the stories we read in the morning paper and those we watch on the evening news.”

ABOUT AMAC

The 1.7 million member Association of Mature American Citizens [AMAC] [https://amac.us] is a vibrant, vital senior advocacy organization a practical insight on how to best solve the problems they face today. 

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River
River
4 years ago

Democrats have had total control of our system of law. Judges up to and including the Supreme Court.
Democrats committing crime never go to jail or prison.
They all MUST do as they are told by the Elite Clinton machine.
Why?? Well it is no secret Clinton’s have about 6 or more HITMAN. That’s how they had 32 people murdered.
Latest was the whistleblower, murdered in hotel room, from last DNC in 2015. Police report said “nothing here”.
Why is media so Democrat supportive?? Remember Obama spent 10-Trillion dollars of taxpayer monies.
The question is…..how much did he pay the Media owners and operators to push the lies like Hitler’s
propaganda machine. It worked for Hitler why not Democrats.
Ya, I know…….the truth really hurts!!

william meier
william meier
4 years ago

last real good news reports were from paul harvey and walter cronkite in my opinion

Gary
Gary
4 years ago

The words “Trust” and “Media” should never again be used in the same sentence.

wayne douglas williams
wayne douglas williams
4 years ago

the mainstream media are suppose to tell the news that’s all not be idiots, I don’t watch the idiots on CNN MSNBC Its hard to find real news media.

Jerry Clemons
Jerry Clemons
4 years ago

It has become obvious the media is the propaganda arm of the Democratic Party. You can’t help but conclude they get their daily talking points from the DNC when they all use the exact same terminology day after day. Just a bunch of talking robots mouthing what they are told to say.

Sore winner
Sore winner
4 years ago

Its no wonder that we have biased reporting. Years ago before CNN etc. They the news media had one shot at getting to the facts. They had one hour to present the facts and no time for editorial opinion. CNN the conspiracy news network came up with 24 hour news…..but to fill in gaps opinion talk shows started as just a filler….now as soon as the facts are reported they go right to a panel of opinions and gossip. I remember a time when the National Enquirer was thought to be ridiculous fake journalism…but now its being quoted as factual evidence against a sitting President. There is enough news out there to report across the world that it should fill up a 24 hour time slot….but yet the media takes one subject like possible collusion and suddenly it goes from a topic to a 24/7 monologue of who can talk over who to get their opinion across…..there is a great opportunity here for another network to come along and just report the facts…instead we have former disgruntled employees of what ever President talking and being lead by the commentator to agree to commentators biased opinion….its childish…boring…and it needs to stop….and i’m not just talking one network…I remember a time when a President gave a state of the union address and there were no comments after…and then it became a 10 minute talk with two guest opinions….one left and one right…with just the announcer saying nothing….and now we have reporting on what the President is going to say even before he says anything……and i am saying all networks now…and the one hour news spot has 10 minutes at the end of the show to see the baby elephant born in captivity…so you have a feel good feeling about the network who cares…..does anybody get this???…..back in the mid 70’s to early 80’s I was a radio announcer …and TV and Radio is all about the money…..if ratings go in the toilet then the company will lose money from advertisers as they move to another channel to hit a wider range of audience and potential buyers of their products then the left/right leaning stations will change hosts etc….but not till then……i mean seriously we get 5 minute clips of what is going on in the rest of the world…..i have to watch BBC news to find out what is going on world wide…

Deef Smith
Deef Smith
4 years ago

Take for example the state I am living in now-Colorado. Hickenlooper our ex horrible governor and ex horrible mayor of Denver was treated like his feces did not stink by the local media. Now on the lefty “Morning Joe” program which is friendly territory for leftys like Hick he was asked “Are you a capitalist” and was dumbfounded for an answer. Not a tough question , but he was not used to this. He got the same question from Meet the Depressed next sunday. Was babbling again. The MSM is scandal in itself.

Alan Power
Alan Power
4 years ago

Todays so-called journalists are the product of far left journalism schools. They don’t know any better. Their taking sides is normal to them.

Michael J
Michael J
4 years ago

The problem with the news is that it’s no longer objective. When so called news media commentators cry when reporting election results, you know they can’t be trusted. I don’t swallow spoon fed lies.

daniel bonner jr
daniel bonner jr
4 years ago

What’s nice is that many people can and do see through the lies and nonsense that MSM/Newspapers report. What’s not nice is that many people do not see through the lies and nonsense and fully trust that the MSM/Newspapers and many in our own Government know better. MSM/Newspapers and many in our own Government want to CONTROL you and me; CONFISCATE our money/guns/etc. and live under their laws and rules as long as these laws and rules don’t apply to them.

Rick
Rick
4 years ago

The news media should be under investigation for their interference in the last election. They was so sure they could control the election and when they lost, they just got more and more bitter. It is sad the way they report any event.

Thomas H
Thomas H
4 years ago

This article vastly underestimates the power of the media. In the eleventh hour before the general election of 2020, the MSM will have even many Amac members convinced of staying home because of some new “revelation” by the usual “anonymous source” against Trump and Republicans. People have very short memories.

Bob Marconi
Bob Marconi
4 years ago

Amen

Ted Bradshaw
Ted Bradshaw
4 years ago

It appears that media, both newsprint and broadcast have moved from reportage to political advocacy. Are they not in violation of election laws ? Should they not be cited for failing to report their advocacy as political party campaign contributions?

Todd Wingard Taylor
Todd Wingard Taylor
4 years ago

Give me a genuinely conservative Christian democratic canidate and I will vote for them but I must say I do not think they exist anymore.

Todd Wingard Taylor
Todd Wingard Taylor
4 years ago

The entire Democratic party has become a treat to American ideals, the Constitution and personal freedoms. Democrats need to abandon the socialist, progressive platform and move to the conservative middle politically; this is where most Americans reside.

Todd Wingard Taylor
Todd Wingard Taylor
4 years ago

Oh course anyone who can think for themselves do not trust the liberal left media. They have become distorters of truth because of their agenda.

Silas Longshot
Silas Longshot
4 years ago

Considering the stunning accomplishments Trump has done so far in office, imagine what could have been done with say maybe 50% positive (truthful) media coverage and perhaps 25% cooperation from the democrat party. But, no, we have 95% negative press, 99% democrat opposition, 25% of the republicans are never-Trump RINO’s. But remember, people, WE HAVE THE POWER (for now) to vote these scum out of office and replace these obstructionist haters with people who are at least reasonable to compromise, if not pro-Trump and pro-America.

Sharon Graziano
Sharon Graziano
4 years ago

Prefer to get the news of the day from Walton and Johnson morning radio program . They keep me informed and laughing. For those of you not in listening area, fear not, they have a free ap.

Bob
Bob
4 years ago

I agree with Sean Hannity. Journalism is dead!

CATrish
CATrish
4 years ago

Why isn’t investigating someone without a crime with 14 biased lawyers and NOT investigating anyone on let left besing looked into prosecuted as Political Persecution”?

Michelle
Michelle
4 years ago

Morbious is absolutely correct!
Similar to calling a 16 foot diamond back rattlesnake in your yard a “crawly thing” the uber polite terminology is a deliberate ruse to make everything appear “fixable.”
The Globally owned media cannot be fixed. It is propaganda.
Look up the word propaganda in a dictionary that was printed before 2000 and you will see how very deadly and dangerous that is.
America is in a heap of trouble.

Sharon Anderson
Sharon Anderson
4 years ago

This is unfortunate in more ways than one. I find I have developed an ostrich syndrome in regard to the news. I turned off my television. I don’t watch the news, don’t read a news magazine or newspaper. They depress me. I choose not to be depressed. I listen to local news on my local radio station. They still report NEWS, not opinion. I figure if anything happens that I SHOULD know about, I’ll hear about it another way.

Roger Federer
Roger Federer
4 years ago

They all go to the same junk colleges (whether “finanacial” or “news” reporters), which impart nothing. The left has no wisdom. I pray there are enough wise people to drive a stake through their typewriters.

Victoria
Victoria
4 years ago

Truth and facts is indeed not being reported in the national media, and hasn’t been for decades now. Unfortunately for many Americans who refuse to use common sense and acknowledge these truths, America is in severe trouble and our future freedoms will be GONE! Socialism is a front for the reality of communism! America is facing a crisis!

Jim
Jim
4 years ago

Journalistic ethics. No greater oxymoron exists.

Morbious
Morbious
4 years ago

Im frustrated that conservatives persist in the use of the word ‘liberal’. Its far too innocuous, when we consider their agenda. They are now, and have been for many decades, part of the c mmunist movement whose ultimate goal is one world government and the accompanying absolute power. They work tirelessly for the return of rule by aristocracy wherein the entirety of humanity is controlled by an inner circle. Their hope and fetid prayer is to find a position near to that power.

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