Data Points, Bad News

Data Points Bad News Even though news organizations are more trusted than the government and big business, negative opinions about the industry are at all-time highs. Public Evaluates the News Sources They Use Most (%) Stories are often inaccurate Get the facts straight News organizations in general -25 News organizations you use most 30 62 What Comes to Mind When You Think About News Organizations (%) Most-named sources: PBS 43 CNBC CNN 39 12 12 MSNBC USA Today CBS News Fox News Channel Wall Street Journal 18 AP NPR New York Times NBC News ABC News Press More Trusted Than Government, Business (%) Trust in the Information You Get From .. I Not much/None Alot/Some Local news organizations National news organizations 39 -59 51 50 44 Your state government 47 48 54 56 Obama administration Federal government agencies Business corporations Congress Candidates running for office 29 People tend to rate the news outlets they follow far higher than news organizations in general. The Pew Research Center has been tracking the public's opinion on press performance since 1985. Today, two-thirds (66 percent) say news stories are often inaccurate, and 77 percent think news organizations are biased. More See News Stories as lInaccurate, News Media as Favoring One Side (%) News organizations.. 1985 1988 1992 1997 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 1 Get the facts straight Stories are often inaccurate Don't know 11 25 37 35 36 36 29 39 55 44 49 34 44 48 56 57 56 56 53 63 66 Are pretty independent Often influenced by powerful people and organizations Don't know 10 11 23 23 21 23 20 15 40 53 49 58 71 70 73 69 74 80 On political and social issues, news organizations.. Deal fairly with all sides Tend to favor one side Don't know 13 11 7 21 18 7 16 26 34 30 31 53 59 63 67 67 66 72 66 74 77 Source of news (%) • National/International • Local News Television Internet Newspapers Radio 66 59 43 17 31 39 19 14 SOURCE: PEW RESEARCH CENTER 2011