Most in US distrust newspapers, TV reports: Gallup poll

A new nationwide opinion poll indicates that over 77 percent of people in the United States do not trust mainstream newspapers and television reports.

The survey, which was conducted by Gallup on June 1-4, was based on nationwide telephone interviews with 1,529 American adults. Its results were released on June 17.

Only 23 percent of Americans trust news institutions in the United States. The figure shows a fall from 25 percent in 2012 and 28 percent in 2011.

The Gallup poll also pointed out that news consumers have found increasingly better ways to access news amid the expanding social media sites and the Internet in general, making it difficult for the news industry to find a suitable niche.

Newspapers and television ranked near the bottom of the confidence list of 16 societal institutions, placing alongside banks, Congress and big businesses.

Americans’ in all key demographic groups including conservatives, moderates and liberals have experienced a drop in confidence in mainstream news since the early 2000s. The confidence has worsened further since 2007, the study revealed.

The opinion poll was released as mainstream media outlets are under fire for their extensively lopsided coverage of key international events including the Israeli aggression against the Palestinians, the National Security Agency’s spy scandal involving whistleblower Edward Snowden, and the unresolved Boston Marathon bombings.