Continue Declines After Years of Fake or False Reporting That Goes Uncorrected
By AI Writer
WASHINGTON— Trust in the media is at a historic low. Only 31% of Americans say they have a “great deal” or “fair amount” of confidence in news outlets, according to a Gallup poll conducted in September 2024. This marks a slight drop from 32% in 2023 and continues a years-long decline in public trust.
The poll reveals growing skepticism across the board. Just 8% of respondents say they have a “great deal” of trust in the media, while 23% have a “fair amount.” Meanwhile, 33% say they don’t trust the media much, and 36% say they have no trust at all.
Media Trust Declines Across Political Parties
The divide in media trust between political parties is stark. Among Democrats, 43% report trusting the media, while only 15% of Republicans say the same. Independent voters also show low levels of trust, with just 28% expressing confidence in media outlets.
This partisan divide highlights the growing distrust, especially among conservatives. Many blame media bias and sensationalized reporting for the eroding trust.
Why Media Trust Is Declining: 10 Major Stories the Media Got Wrong
One reason for declining media trust is high-profile mistakes that have damaged credibility. Here are 10 major stories that the media got wrong since 2016 and failed to correct properly, fueling public mistrust:
- 2016 Election Polls – Many media outlets predicted a clear win for Hillary Clinton. When Donald Trump won, the media faced criticism for not acknowledging flaws in their polling methods.
- Russian Collusion Narrative – Early reports suggesting direct collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia were exaggerated. The Mueller report found no conclusive evidence of such collusion.
- Covington Catholic Incident – Media outlets rushed to condemn high school students for supposedly confronting a Native American elder in Washington, D.C. Later videos showed a more complex situation, but few outlets fully corrected their initial narrative.
- Jussie Smollett Attack – Initial coverage widely accepted Smollett’s claims of being attacked in a hate crime. When evidence emerged that the attack was staged, media retractions were limited.
- Hunter Biden Laptop Story – Many media outlets dismissed the Hunter Biden laptop story in 2020 as Russian disinformation. However, later investigations confirmed the laptop and its contents were real.
- COVID-19 Lab Leak Theory – In the early days of the pandemic, many outlets dismissed the lab leak theory as a conspiracy. Later, the possibility of a lab origin for COVID-19 was taken more seriously by scientists and the media.
- Kyle Rittenhouse Trial – Some media outlets labeled Rittenhouse a white supremacist before the trial. He was acquitted of all charges, but many news organizations did not correct earlier coverage.
- “Don’t Say Gay” Law in Florida – The media often reported that Florida’s education bill banned the word “gay” in schools. In fact, the bill focused on restricting discussions of sexual orientation for certain age groups, not banning the word itself.
- Inflation Predictions – Early in 2021, several outlets predicted inflation would be “transitory.” As inflation persisted, many economists and media analysts criticized these early reports.
- Afghanistan Withdrawal – Some early coverage of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan minimized the chaos and violence that followed. Subsequent reports revealed a much more dangerous situation than first reported.
These high-profile errors have eroded trust in news outlets. The public expects accountability when mistakes are made, but slow or absent corrections have fueled the belief that the media is biased or unreliable.
Long-Term Decline in Media Trust
Trust in the media has been falling for decades. In the 1970s, about 72% of Americans trusted the news. Since then, confidence has steadily declined, driven by major scandals, biased reporting, and the rise of social media and partisan news outlets.
Political polarization has made things worse. Today, people often choose media that aligns with their political views, leading to echo chambers that further erode trust in traditional outlets.
The Road Ahead for Media
With the 2024 election approaching, the media is under pressure to rebuild trust. Some outlets are doubling down on fact-checking and transparency, hoping to regain credibility. But whether this will be enough to reverse years of declining trust remains uncertain.
For the media to regain public confidence, it will need to be more transparent, correct mistakes quickly, and avoid sensationalism. Until then, trust in the media may continue to drop.