You are posting a comment about...
The Media�s Downward Spiral
When it comes to distrust of particular professions, attorneys may receive the brunt of many jokes, yet there are few industries thought less of than our nation’s press. From television to radio to other forms of media, the level of distrust and lack of confidence in the media is perhaps greater than any time in recent history. The inspired psalmist reminds Christians where to place their trust: “For You are my hope, O Lord God;?You are my trust from my youth” (Psalm 71:5). While the media continues the spiral out of control, our Lord remains steadfast.
According to a recent poll conducted by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, less than 1 in 3 Americans believe that news organizations get the facts straight when reporting the news. In 1985, when the initial survey was conducted, 55% of people believed news stories to be accurate. This near 50% decline in the trustworthiness of news outlets ought to be of concern to those in the news industry. The sharp decline is most certainly part of the driving force behind an increasing number of Americans obtaining their news and information from alternative sources (talk radio, blogs, & various Internet sites). In fact, viewership of the network newscasts from the three major networks continues to drop such that it may be a matter of time before those newscasts will be eliminated from the daily schedule.
The same study found that 60% of Americans believe the news media to be politically biased and question the ability of the press to investigate and report in an independent manner. Thus, when reports are made questioning political policy or issues of importance to Americans, there is an underlying belief that data may be modified or massaged to put forward a particular viewpoint.
While Americans have had at least a slight distrust of the media and its motivation at times throughout our history, this unparalleled level of distrust has arguably been caused by a number of major changes taking place in the industry. The Pew Center recently found that for the first time more Americans get national and international news from the Internet than from newspapers. While television remains the dominant source by which Americans obtain national and international news, those citing the Internet as their primary source of this news have doubled over the past five years. If this trend continues, the Internet may overtake television as the major source for national and international news within the next three to five years.
The rise of the Internet and its impact on this issue of distrust in the media cannot be overstated. With the click of a mouse, people can have access to the same data and information as news agencies and can examine and scrutinize the data. This analysis can then be sent to practically anyone--or to millions of individuals for that matter--instantaneously. Because of this technology, we have seen a number of newspapers and networks called out for manipulating stories and, in some cases, the complete fabrication of stories. Perhaps as technology continues to evolve and the news media is further scrutinized, news agencies and reporters will be forced to enhance their fact checking so as not to be embarrassed by false information.
Another critical factor in the decline of trustworthiness of the media may be the perception that the media are unduly influenced by powerful persons and groups. The Pew poll found that only 20% of Americans believe the media to be independent of these persons and groups. Nearly twice as many Americans believed the media to be independent from powerful persons and groups in 1985 when the survey was first conducted. These persons may be influential in the arena of business or politics and may also include the corporate interests of the major news organizations (Boards of Directors, major shareholders, etc.).
Without question, the news media is experiencing rapid change. Newspaper circulations and readership levels have been and remain in a steady decline as more Americans obtain “instantaneous” news via the Internet instead of “outdated” news via the newspapers. What may occur due to the distrust of the media and more Americans seeking their news via the Internet is the extinction of several major newspapers. We may also see news organizations in America, as they have in some parts of Europe, admit to being of particular political viewpoints and place within their news stories opinions along with the facts.
Whether or not the traditional media can regain its prior trust among Americans remains to be seen, but there is no question that the media has an uphill climb to reach the level of trust it once had in the minds of Americans. Christians should always hold fast to what the prophet Isaiah declared: “Trust in the LORD forever, ? For in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength” (Isaiah 26:4).
Source: “Press Accuracy Rating Hits Two Decade Low.” The Pew Research Center for the People and the Press. http://people-press.org/report/543/
