America’s confidence in TV news has hit a new low, but should anyone be surprised? According to Gallup’s analysis of their annual Confidence in Institutions survey, only 21 percent of Americans have “a great deal” or “quite a lot” of confidence in TV news. Newspapers don’t fare much better with only 25 percent of respondents expressing confidence. Gallup’s survey, which was conducted from June 7-10, was released last month and was predictably ignored by pretty much everyone except Newsbusters’ own Tim Graham who reported on its findings here. Confidence in TV news has seen a seven point drop since last year alone (down from a still-embarrassing 28 percent in 2011). And this survey was conducted before two major cable news networks botched their initial reports on the outcome of the Supreme Court’s ObamaCare decision on June 28.
So what could possibly account for this drop? The answer is simple: the networks refuse to Tell the Truth, and the American people are sick and tired of it. Even liberals (19 percent) and moderates (20 percent) have lost faith in TV news, although, not surprisingly, self-identified Democrats have the highest confidence at 34 percent compared to 17 percent for Republicans and 17 percent for Independents. This shouldn’t come as any shock given the media’s torrid love affair with Democrat superhero Barack Obama.
The results of this survey should be tacked up on the walls of newsrooms across the country, but they won’t be. Instead the media will sputter along, continuing to alienate viewers as they force their alternate liberal reality on an increasingly suspicious public. The media may not want to Tell the Truth, but the numbers don’t lie.
Image credit: Angela Rosa.
