When it comes to the news media and the impact it is having on democracy and political polarization in the US, Americans are likelier to say it is doing more harm than good.
Nearly three-quarters of US adults say the news media are increasing political polarization in the nation, and just under half say they have little to no trust in the media’s ability to report the news fairly and accurately, a survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights said.
The poll, released before World Press Freedom Day tomorrow, shows Americans have significant concerns about misinformation — and the role played by the media itself, along with politicians and social media companies in spreading it — but many are also concerned about growing threats to journalists’ safety.
Photo: AP
“The news riles people up,” said 53-year-old Barbara Jordan, a Democrat from Hutchinson, Kansas.
Jordan said she now does her own online research instead of going by what she sees on the TV news.
“You’re better off Googling something and learning about it. I trust the Internet more than I do the TV,” she said.
That breakdown in trust may prompt many Americans to reject the mainstream news media, often in favor of social media and unreliable Web sites that spread misleading claims and that can become partisan echo chambers, leading to further polarization.
While a slim majority of Americans say they have some degree of confidence in the news media’s ability to report the news fully and fairly, only 16 percent say they are very confident. Forty-five percent say they have little to no confidence at all.
The survey reveals the complicated relationship many Americans have with the media: A majority rate in-depth and investigative reporting as very helpful or extremely helpful for understanding the issues they care about, but they are more likely to say they regularly scan the headlines than read an in-depth investigative article.
Moreover, while overall trust in the media is low, a majority of respondents say the media are doing at least somewhat well in covering issues they care about.
Four in 10 say the press is doing more to hurt American democracy, while only about two in 10 say the press is doing more to protect it. An additional four in 10 say neither applies.
Partisan cable news outlets and social media platforms have driven the problem by conditioning many Americans to see one another as enemies, said Joe Salegna, a Republican who lives on Long Island, New York.
“I think it’s tearing this country apart,” said Salegna, 50. “Since the 2016 election, I think it’s gotten a lot worse.”
Republicans view the news media less favorably than Democrats, with 61 percent of Republicans saying the news media are hurting democracy, compared with 23 percent of Democrats and 36 percent of independents who do not lean toward either party.
Majorities across party lines say the news media fuel political division, but Republicans are much more likely than Democrats to say that is happening a lot.
And more Republicans think the news is strongly influenced by the US government and the political views of journalists.
Coverage of recent presidential elections, the COVID-19 pandemic, protests against police killings of black Americans and other events convinced Janis Fort that the media cannot be believed.
One station will cover a story that others ignore, she said, leaving viewers not sure whom to trust.
“Everyone tells a different story. The media does nothing but stir up fear,” said Fort, a retired 71-year-old Republican who lives in Navarre, Florida.
“For me, and for most of the people I know, we feel like we’re totally in the dark,” he said.
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