Americans have a mixed relationship with the news media. Regardless of their source of news, be it traditional or social media sources, they criticize political reporting, and find the news media polarizing and lacking integrity.
Some 50% of the public report that they have “little or no confidence in journalists who they believe have “low or very low ethical standards.”
This view is widest along party lines where a 40-50% gap exists. In spite of these sentiments, Americans continue to consume political news at high levels, particularly when social media and the internet are included as sources.
The presence of COVID has increased news consumption levels as a result of the fear and need for information that accompanies the virus. In addition, the public has become more polarized, getting their COVID information from their preferred news source, particularly those sources perceived as ideological or partisan (i.e. Fox and CNN).
The President’s rhetorical reliance on “fake news” has furthered the partisan differences on the consumption of COVID related news. The Pew Research Center has produced a comprehensive study, Americans’ Views of the News Media During the COVID Outbreak by Mark Jurkowwitz and Amy Mitchell. The authors’ results are from national, representative surveys conducted in March and April 2020.
The Pew study looks specifically at Americans’ views of the news media during the current pandemic. In addition, it compares the attitudes of both Republicans and Democrats.
When looking at all Americans, the Pew researchers find that 59% believe the news media is “giving them the information they need” and 49% find the “information largely accurate.” However, the study finds that only 44% of Republicans believe the media is “giving them the information they need” compared to 73% Democrats. When asked if the news media is “largely accurate,” 31% of Republicans and 66% of Democrats agree.
There are several potential explanations for these stark, partisan differences. First, significant partisan differences in the evaluation of the media have been growing over time. A number of events mark this transition. They include the appearance of numerous news channels with the widespread presence of cable access and internet-based news. The newer news media outlets often align themselves with an ideological overlay, marketing to only a partisan or ideological segment of the public (i.e. Fox News, CNN). Viewers gravitate to the outlet that aligns with their dispositions creating a selective reinforcement mechanism.
A study by Elizabeth Grieco (Pew Research Center, April 2020) identifies the news sources relied upon by Republicans and Democrats. She finds that 93% of Republicans rely on Fox News. 95% of Democrats rely on MSNBC.
The “traditional’ news sources, ABC, CBS, and NBC come the closest to attracting both Republicans and Democrats. The print media shows even greater polarization of readership with 95% of Democrats identifying the New York Times as a routine source of news while only 5% of Republicans make this claim.
Second, Republicans exhibit a more profound distrust of the accuracy and ethics of journalists. Gottfried et al. (Pew, May 8, 2020) find that only 23% of Republicans compared to 70% of Democrats believe that journalists are both accurate and ethical. No other profession is marked by this kind of difference.
This is an interesting finding especially with regard to Republicans who watch their favorite news sources at virtually the same levels as Democrats watch theirs, yet hold very negative views of journalists. Perhaps, Republicans do not see Fox News as falling under their evaluative umbrella of journalism. This may be a function of the degree that Fox News reports President Trump’s rhetoric and reinforces the condemnation of other news outlets as “fake news.”
Third, Republicans may be taking cues from President Trump regarding danger and response to COVID 19.
Together these cues suggest that the threat of the virus has been overstated, that continuing efforts at social distancing and mask-wearing are unnecessary and are in fact liberal, that the liberal news media is producing more fake news than ever, and that some conspiracy theories are in play.
Pew reports that 68% of Republicans believe the media has greatly exaggerated the risks of COVID while 30% of Democrats hold this view. These differences reflect the tone of the President’s suspicion of the viruses’ impact (i.e. controversies with CDC findings and guidelines, encouraging “liberation”). Selective reinforcement is pervasive and impactful.
Our partisan polarization of where we get our news and our faith in journalism is nothing new. Up until the 1970’s every large American city had numerous, daily newspapers that offered selective views of the politics and issues of the day. It was clear to the reader what the newspaper stood for. If you sought a balance of opinion, as many did, you read several newspapers.
This ideological clarity strengthened democracy and faith in journalism. And while we could argue that multiple cable news sources are a positive thing, something has changed. It is found in our now limited concept of citizenship where we rely on a news source that is most “comfortable,” forgoing our individual responsibility to appreciate multiple views and find compromise and an agreed upon path forward.
Jan Hillard is data-based editor for the NKyTribune and retired Emeriti Faculty from Northern Kentucky University.
