A poll conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, in collaboration with the American Press Institute and Media Insight Project revealed that a vast majority of Americans distrust the US news media.
According to this latest survey, this public mistrust was borne out of the perception of the US mainstream media's bias and unfairness, and inaccurate reporting. The level of suspicion of the nation's news industry is about the same as the public's mistrust of Congress and way below that of other public institutions.
Traditional newspaper jobs such as reporters, editors, publishers and news printing presses are therefore in jeopardy.
Only about 6 percent of those surveyed have confidence in the media, said the poll. The survey also revealed that the American public has ever-increasing sources of news information, thus making them rely more on news that are up-to-date, concise and provides expert sources or documentary proofs.
In reality, public confidence in the mainstream media has been increasingly eroding. A report in 2012 indicated that U.S. citizens' distrust in media then had already hit a new high. This trend has even increased through the years.
At that time, about 60 percent of Americans said they have little or no trust in the mass media in terms of reporting the news fully, fairly and accurately. Media mistrust is increasing and people are becoming more negative about the media more than they did before 2004.
In the current AP poll, about 4 in 10 of those surveyed said they can recall a specific incident that eroded their confidence in the media, and it is related to the accuracy or perception that the news was one-sided.
"The most important thing that news organizations can do is be accurate, and while we know that is a high value, this study reinforces that," said Margaret Sullivan, The New York Times public editor.
The survey also revealed that out of 10 Americans, 6 of them watch, read, or hear news several times each day on computers, smartphones and tablets since these devices make it easier to follow news daily or on an on-demand basis.
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