SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
To donate by check, phone, or other method, see our More Ways to Give page.
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
Americans are increasingly mistrustful, confused with U.S. news media. (Photo: Jovo Marjanovic/EyeEm via Getty Images)
A report released this week indicates the majority of Americans believe the media plays a critical role in democracy--and think United States news outlets are failing to deliver accurate coverage.
"That's a bad thing for democracy," John Sands, director of learning and impact at the Knight Foundation, which conducted the study in conjunction with Gallup, told the Associated Press. "Our concern is that when half of Americans have some sort of doubt about the veracity of the news they consume, it's going to be impossible for our democracy to function."
According to the report,
Less than half of Americans, 44%, say they can think of a news source that reports the news objectively. Republicans who can name an accurate source overwhelmingly mention Fox News, while Democrats' responses are more varied.
The Knight Foundation, referencing data from pre-Covid-19 pandemic polling, reports that a majority of U.S. adults consider "fake news" to be a threat to democracy. Four in 10 Republicans surveyed consider accurate news coverage that cast a politician or political group in a negative light to always be "fake news."
Americans on the whole, however, remain skeptical of information coming from the White House. A report released in June by the Pew Research Center shows citizens overwhelmingly trust news about Covid-19 from the CDC rather than the Trump administration. Trump's public disdain for CDC guidelines around Covid-19 and his active attempts to discredit top scientists, including the nation's top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, have been the subject of much debate in recent months as the United States continues to lead the world in Covid-19 infections and deaths.
Social media has continued to gain ground as being a news source, with the Knight Foundation reporting an equal number of survey participants rely on newspapers as rely on social media for information.
However, a July 30 report by the Pew Research Foundation shows that people who rely on social media for news are "less likely to get the facts right about the coronavirus and politics and more likely to hear some unproven claims."
Trump and Musk are on an unconstitutional rampage, aiming for virtually every corner of the federal government. These two right-wing billionaires are targeting nurses, scientists, teachers, daycare providers, judges, veterans, air traffic controllers, and nuclear safety inspectors. No one is safe. The food stamps program, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid are next. It’s an unprecedented disaster and a five-alarm fire, but there will be a reckoning. The people did not vote for this. The American people do not want this dystopian hellscape that hides behind claims of “efficiency.” Still, in reality, it is all a giveaway to corporate interests and the libertarian dreams of far-right oligarchs like Musk. Common Dreams is playing a vital role by reporting day and night on this orgy of corruption and greed, as well as what everyday people can do to organize and fight back. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover issues the corporate media never will, but we can only continue with our readers’ support. |
A report released this week indicates the majority of Americans believe the media plays a critical role in democracy--and think United States news outlets are failing to deliver accurate coverage.
"That's a bad thing for democracy," John Sands, director of learning and impact at the Knight Foundation, which conducted the study in conjunction with Gallup, told the Associated Press. "Our concern is that when half of Americans have some sort of doubt about the veracity of the news they consume, it's going to be impossible for our democracy to function."
According to the report,
Less than half of Americans, 44%, say they can think of a news source that reports the news objectively. Republicans who can name an accurate source overwhelmingly mention Fox News, while Democrats' responses are more varied.
The Knight Foundation, referencing data from pre-Covid-19 pandemic polling, reports that a majority of U.S. adults consider "fake news" to be a threat to democracy. Four in 10 Republicans surveyed consider accurate news coverage that cast a politician or political group in a negative light to always be "fake news."
Americans on the whole, however, remain skeptical of information coming from the White House. A report released in June by the Pew Research Center shows citizens overwhelmingly trust news about Covid-19 from the CDC rather than the Trump administration. Trump's public disdain for CDC guidelines around Covid-19 and his active attempts to discredit top scientists, including the nation's top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, have been the subject of much debate in recent months as the United States continues to lead the world in Covid-19 infections and deaths.
Social media has continued to gain ground as being a news source, with the Knight Foundation reporting an equal number of survey participants rely on newspapers as rely on social media for information.
However, a July 30 report by the Pew Research Foundation shows that people who rely on social media for news are "less likely to get the facts right about the coronavirus and politics and more likely to hear some unproven claims."
A report released this week indicates the majority of Americans believe the media plays a critical role in democracy--and think United States news outlets are failing to deliver accurate coverage.
"That's a bad thing for democracy," John Sands, director of learning and impact at the Knight Foundation, which conducted the study in conjunction with Gallup, told the Associated Press. "Our concern is that when half of Americans have some sort of doubt about the veracity of the news they consume, it's going to be impossible for our democracy to function."
According to the report,
Less than half of Americans, 44%, say they can think of a news source that reports the news objectively. Republicans who can name an accurate source overwhelmingly mention Fox News, while Democrats' responses are more varied.
The Knight Foundation, referencing data from pre-Covid-19 pandemic polling, reports that a majority of U.S. adults consider "fake news" to be a threat to democracy. Four in 10 Republicans surveyed consider accurate news coverage that cast a politician or political group in a negative light to always be "fake news."
Americans on the whole, however, remain skeptical of information coming from the White House. A report released in June by the Pew Research Center shows citizens overwhelmingly trust news about Covid-19 from the CDC rather than the Trump administration. Trump's public disdain for CDC guidelines around Covid-19 and his active attempts to discredit top scientists, including the nation's top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, have been the subject of much debate in recent months as the United States continues to lead the world in Covid-19 infections and deaths.
Social media has continued to gain ground as being a news source, with the Knight Foundation reporting an equal number of survey participants rely on newspapers as rely on social media for information.
However, a July 30 report by the Pew Research Foundation shows that people who rely on social media for news are "less likely to get the facts right about the coronavirus and politics and more likely to hear some unproven claims."