Honestly, I'm more surprised that trust in the media is STILL this high.
Here were the results of a new Gallup poll:
Only 36% of Americans said they had a "Great deal/Fair amount" of trust in the mass media, broken down as only 7% saying they have "a great deal" and 29% "a fair amount."
In 2016, the trust in the media was at a record low at 32% — not far off from this year's numbers.
Seriously, who are the 36% of you out there who still trust mainstream media??
Have you paid attention at all over the last few decades? How about the last five years??
The last YEAR?
At least we're trending the right way:
Between 1972 and 1976, 68% to 72% of Americans expressed trust in the mass media; yet, by 1997, when the question was next asked, trust had dropped to 53%. Trust in the media, which has averaged 45% since 1997, has not reached the majority level since 2003.
Unsurprisingly, there is a heavy partisan divide:
"Currently, 68% of Democrats, 11% of Republicans and 31% of independents say they trust the media a great deal or fair amount. The 57-point gap in Republicans' and Democrats' confidence is within the 54- to 63-point range for the two groups since 2017," Gallup noted.
This isn't about a showdown between CNN and Fox News though. The poll is asking if you trust mass media AT ALL. Conservatives are often distrustful of their own media sources, knowing everyone is trying to make a buck and push an agenda. Leftists, meanwhile, seem content to trust that the power brokers in media are truthful and humble while shouting "FAUX NEWS" at the top of their lungs.
The American Founders once thought that an independent media would always be at odds with the government, creating healthy checks and balances. Unfortunately, that system failed when the media industry established a monopoly on information for over a century, leading them to exert their power on government and create alliances with political leaders.
What are your thoughts?
