In the summer of 2018, Gallup released its list of the most trusted American social institutions, with the military and "small business" leading the charge. But, second only to Congress, the least trusted institution was television news, followed closely by newspapers. As for the origin of this distrust, viewers worried about accuracy in reporting, sensationalism (including "clickbait") and the perception that news sources publish stories before verifying all the facts. In total, 94% of Republicans, 66% of moderates and 42% of Democrats indicated that their trust in media has declined over the past decade. And this isn't even to mention other charges levied against the news media: marked degrees of partisanship in coverage and an alleged disproportionate focus on the goings-on in a few major cities, with much of the rest of the country arguably underrepresented in airtime.
News: Sensational? Partisan? And Now for Something Completely Different!
