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‘Real News From The Blaze’: American Trust in the Media Hits New Low

Sep. 21, 2012 8:00pm Christopher Santarelli

A new report from Gallup shows that trust towards the Fourth Estate has hit an all-time low, as 60 percent of Americans now say they don’t trust the media. The poll also notes that the current gap between negative and positive views — 20 percentage points — is by far the highest Gallup has recorded since it began regularly asking the question in the 1990s. The decrease in trust from 2008 to 2012 was the steepest among Independents, followed by Republicans, while at 58 percent support Democrats express the most trust towards the media.

While there has been a general trend of distrust among Americans towards many political and societal institutions along with the media, such as Congress, the financial sector and public education system; many critics point to examples in recent years where the mainstream media has failed in fulfilling their role in our society and say they do not deserve our confidence. Reason magazine praised the Spanish-language network Univision Friday, for their tough questioning of presidential candidates Mitt Romney and Barack Obama during televised town hall forums this week. Tim Cavanaugh writes on the grilling:

So apparently the way to get presidential candidates to talk seriously about issues is to put them on Spanish-language TV. First there was Republican challenger Mitt Romney getting a spinal tap over his shifting immigration views, if you can be married and gay at the same time, and whether he was wearing brownface.

Now President Obama must also be wondering what happened to the good old days when all you had to do was print up some “Adelante” flyers and say a few words in halting Spanish on the stump.

From 42 straight months of unemployment over eight percent, a 38.8 percent decline in U.S. wealth from 2007-2010, over 2,000 American deaths in Afghanistan since 2001, and anti-American protests currently across the globe; many Americans are likely frustrated to hear coverage about Mitt Romney’s pets or what Barack Obama had to say on a local radio station.

On “Real News From The Blaze” Friday, the panel discussed the Gallup report revealing a severe lack of trust from the American people towards the media, whether the mainstream media is still asking the tough questions, and why the Univision forums have stuck out to many political observers.

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Comments (18)

Bangstick
Posted on September 22, 2012 at 9:12pm
We used to have “News”. Now we just have gossip and propaganda.

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JohnyQ
Posted on September 22, 2012 at 9:49am
I haven’t trusted the media since the 70s. Straight up Prime BS.. I was listening to any talk shows like William f Buckley.. BoB Grant and such. Sadly the Media was already Padding the facts to suite the Liberals such as Walter Cronkite. Vote GOP Nov 2012

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South Philly Boy
Posted on September 22, 2012 at 1:56am
The Drive-By Media is CORRUPT

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Merry52277
Posted on September 22, 2012 at 12:22am
Couldn’t we as a Nation file some kind of class action law suit against the main stream media for slander, libel and deliberately concealing facts and important information from us. Okay, I know this sounds ridiculous but I am just so tired of the bias and the lies.

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sbenard
Posted on September 21, 2012 at 11:07pm
I call the media what it is — the PROPAGANDA PRESS!

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dealer@678
Posted on September 21, 2012 at 9:43pm
Dear Real News. More Emily please. Thank You

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- Wool-Free Vision
  Posted on September 21, 2012 at 10:15pm
  Agree. She’s a winner!
  
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Creativethinker
Posted on September 21, 2012 at 9:28pm
If you go to http://www.unskewedpolls.com you will see that Mitt Romney is 7.8+ ahead of Obama.

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- R.A. Bullseye
  Posted on September 21, 2012 at 10:16pm
  Yes !!!!
  
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- Wool-Free Vision
  Posted on September 21, 2012 at 10:26pm
  @CreativeThinker
  
  Thanks for that boost. I didn’t know that website existed. Color me somewhat reassured and cautiously optimistic.
  
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Chinishque
Posted on September 21, 2012 at 9:02pm
I have a friend that works at Gallup and they knowingly over-poll Democrats because most Republicans are actually working and unavailable during the day, often by a two to one margin…this is a fact people!!!!…The real numbers for people that don’t trust the media would be far higher and with most polling like this they don’t even ask the political persuasion of the person, because they are just happy to get a warm body on the phone. Gallup will poll a few thousand people at most (normally supposedly to get a statistically true sample you need only a few hundred to represent the population of the US and then they extrapolate the rest!) Ya gotta love statistics! or at least stats show that most of us do!

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Tigress1
Posted on September 21, 2012 at 8:33pm
I’m surprised they even decided to do a poll on this subject. All they have to do is read the comments on the local newspaper sites, and the MSM channels and they would know what people think of them. I guess they don’t think people are serious about what they are saying, or in their elite little world they think the opinions of peasants don’t matter.

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- Wool-Free Vision
  Posted on September 21, 2012 at 9:05pm
  They buy into their own hype and lies. They tell themselves (and each other) that their numbers are so low due to the internet and the glut of cable alternatives. They are victims of their own propaganda, just as we are.
  
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its_the_end_of_the_world_as_we_know_it
Posted on September 21, 2012 at 8:28pm
So included in the 60% are those that don’t know the truth when they hear it? Wow, another meanless poll.

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its_the_end_of_the_world_as_we_know_it
Posted on September 21, 2012 at 8:25pm
So this 60% includes those that don’t know the truth when they here it? Wow, another meaningless poll.

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Uechi
Posted on September 21, 2012 at 8:15pm
So basically 40% of the population are kool-aid drinking morons. The Republic is doomed.

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- drs1969
  Posted on September 21, 2012 at 8:48pm
  That’s (40) about the same % as self identified Dems. This may be a true poll, for a change.
  
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pissantno.10
Posted on September 21, 2012 at 8:13pm
i would guess it is higher than 60% but you have a large part of the country who really dont know what country they live in

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