One of the most
comprehensive surveys of the public’s general opinion of the media was done in 1997 by the Pew Research Center for The People & The Press, formerly known as the Times Mirror Center for the People and the Press. This research compared poll results from the mid-1980s with the late-1990s, (using identical questions) and determined a growing percentage of the public realize the media are biased, inaccurate and an obstacle to solving problems.
KEY FINDINGS:
- Two-thirds (67%) said they agreed with the statement: “In dealing with political and social issues, news organizations tend to favor one side.” That was up 14 points from 53 percent who gave that answer in 1985.
- Those who believed the media “deal fairly with all sides” fell from 34 percent to 27 percent.
- “In one of the most telling complaints, a majority (54%) of Americans believe the news media gets in the way of society solving its problems,” Pew reported.
- Republicans “are more likely to say news organizations favor one side than are Democrats or independents (77 percent vs. 58 percent and 69 percent, respectively).”
- The percentage who felt “news organizations get the facts straight” fell from 55 percent to 37 percent.
- The public also condemned the media’s intrusiveness: “Nearly two-thirds (64%) now believe TV news programs unnecessarily invade people's privacy, rather than intrude only when it serves the public interest.”
Previous: Exhibit 1-18: Slate Magazine Pre-Election Staff Survey
Next: Exhibit 2-2: What the People Want from the Press