Americans don’t trust the news media
In the annual public surveys about trust and reputation, journalists and the media have regularly fallen near the very bottom, often just above Congress. But in this year’s Gallup poll, we have managed to fall below Congress. Our profession is now the least trusted of all. Something we are doing is clearly not working.
Let me give an analogy. Voting machines must meet two requirements. They must count the vote accurately, and people must believe they count the vote accurately. The second requirement is distinct from and just as important as the first.
Likewise with newspapers. We must be accurate, and we must be believed to be accurate. It’s a bitter pill to swallow, but we are failing on the second requirement. Most people believe the media is biased. Anyone who doesn’t see this is paying scant attention to reality, and those who fight reality lose. Reality is an undefeated champion. It would be easy to blame others for our long and continuing fall in credibility (and, therefore, decline in impact), but a victim mentality will not help. Complaining is not a strategy. We must work harder to control what we can control to increase our credibility.
“The Washington Post never spoke to PG Shokin even though Shokin volunteered to talk. The WP never checked the details of what actually happened with the case in Ukraine. They used a one sentence quote given by someone who was fired by Shokin on suspicion of working with the Biden family in Ukraine, to form this story…”
Maze:
The Washington Post committed massive election interference on behalf of Joe Biden to help him win in 2020. WP produced a fake story through its “fact checking” department that became nationally accepted and served as the basis for exonerating Biden of corruption in Ukraine. From CNN to Senate Democrats, everybody repeated verbatim the WP story in defense of Joe Biden.
This was just as big, if not bigger interference than the media outlets claiming Hunter’s laptop was Russian disinformation.
Riva:
People are way too forgiving. The Washington Post spent years contributing to narratives that have destroyed this country, and Bezos’ ex-wife is spending her billions on progressive programs. Oh he wrote an op-ed after it all? Strong and brave
But in the same way that a reporter can publicly disclose an anonymous source who burns them with bad information, Tapper and CNN are causing serious harm to the country with their revisionist history of their own key role in the Russia collusion hoax. It’s become a matter of conscience that I stop hiding what I witnessed at CNN.
In his debate Sunday with J.D. Vance, an extremely emotional and petulant Tapperasked no policy questions, choosing instead to talk almost exclusively about the mean things that neoconservatives such as Gen. John Kelly and former Rep. Liz Cheney have to say about Trump. In an amazing coincidence, this is also a major closing argument of the Kamala Harris presidential campaign. Vance highlighted the unimportant nature of Tapper’s questions, noted that the claims were credibly disputed, and kept trying to turn the conversation to important policy distinctions between the two campaigns.
Vance also noted Tapper’s problems with “integrity,” highlighting his media outlet’s leading role in driving the hysteria surrounding the dangerous Russia collusion conspiracy.
A majority of people across 27 developed countries now believe:
Governments are untrustworthy, unethical, and incompetent.
Corporations are trustworthy, ethical, and competent.
Corporations should take the lead in delivering prosperity and social progress.
Glenn Greenwald:
Hilarious: the NYT identifies “a stream of conspiracy theories” on Truth Social:
- The US has a Deep State: a permanent secret DC power faction.
- Kamala and the media hid Biden’s failing health.
- The US blew up Nord Stream 2.
- The Soros’ use their wealth to control Dems.