In Media, We Don't Trust

I have long believed that an impartial media on the U.S. is a thing of the past. Most of our mediums are slanted left or right, with the TV and newspaper mediums almost entirely left wing agenda oriented and the radio medium right wing directed. That's probably why few Americans believe what they read or see in the news media. A 2017 Gallop poll on the subject disclosed that 62% of Americans say news media favors one political party over the other, that more believe media favors Democrats than Republicans and that a clear majority of Americans say media is "often inaccurate". Too, Gallup asked those who perceive political bias in the news media to say which party the news media favors. Almost two thirds (64%) of those who believe the media favors a political party say it is the now leftist Democratic Party.

In a climate of bitter political partisanship, anti media rhetoric and diversified media options where any nut can find a web site that agrees with his or her view, just 32% of Americans now say they trust the media. The media attempt to destroy Trump and remove him from office, for example, is so obvious and unfair that news outlets are losing viewers and readers at a rapid pace. It used to be a "mistake" was a costly penalty for the journalist or outlet. Now, factual errors are seen as necessary it promoting the media narrative presented.

The old belief about the news media used to be that journalists make fewer mistakes than people in most businesses because they're being watched more closely and they know it. A journalist's mistakes are out in the open, they used to say. But no more. Most readers and viewers like the lies and half truths told when they suit the viewer or reader agenda. Fake news, particularly about the right wing and about Trump is fun, but most important news isn't interesting, many say. It used to be we wanted the truth, especially if it hurt. Today we want partisanship. Slants and lies are good when they support our own agenda.

Instead of the media reporting what we should know, it now publishes almost exclusively to giving us what we or they want to pretend is true. After all, agendas need that. It's sad because news mediums are supposed to be the guardians of democracy, unbiased reporters of fact. What we have today is journalism by agenda, mistake or deliberate lie. No wonder so many, particularly the young, pay more attention to triviality like 'The Game of Thrones' than to educating themselves about real world events that affect their real lives.

PEW Research this year found that only 18% of viewers or readers trust the media in any of its reporting. It didn't indicate if any of the 18% had working brains.