Friday, June 03, 2005

They Still Trust Us (BUT...)

Despite the recent Newsweek controversy, six in 10 Americans generally trust the media to report the news accurately, and more approve than disapprove of the use of anonymous sources by journalists.

Fifty-eight percent in this ABC News/Washington Post poll trust the media to report the news fully, fairly and accurately. That's up from 44 percent in a similar question in a Gallup poll last September, in the midst of the CBS "60 Minutes" scandal, and just above where it was in the late 1990s through 2003

(read more - ABC News)

Troubling stats..

* There's more of a change in whom people trust more when government officials dispute the accuracy of a news report. Americans by a 20-point margin say they're more inclined to believe the media, 46 percent-26 percent, but a sizable 22 percent say it depends on the situation.

* Confidence is not as high as it once was — close to seven in 10 in the post-Watergate 1970's. And just 11 percent express a "great deal" of trust in the news media.

No comments: