Mistrust in News Media

In media today, very few Americans have trust in what is being reported in the news. In fact, only 32% of Americans say that they have clear trust in news media. Whether that is on television, in the newspaper, or on social media, American’s have a hard time believing everything that is said. With numerous events affecting everyone in America, this has become a large-scale issue. Events like the black lives matter movement, the coronavirus, and the upcoming election, society needs information that is true and relevant, and without this, chaos could ensue.

Issues in news media:

1. News media tends to report before all the facts are known

2. News media often reports only one side of an issue, creating bias and false reporting

3. News media obtains information from untrustworthy sources, making themselves come off as untrustworthy

4. News media rarely reports their mistakes to consumers and does not publish information about their organization

5. News media sometimes does not label commentary or sponsored reports which leads consumers to question validity

Solutions:

· Implement fact checking measures

· Train reporters to mention all sides of an issue or story

· Publish sources when getting information about a story

· Prioritize transparency by publishing findings in falsely reported information

· Ensure that all outside information is clearly labeled and disclose this verbally to consumers

Sources:

https://knightfoundation.org/reports/indicators-of-news-media-trust/

https://www.pulitzer.org/article/why-do-so-many-americans-distrust-media

Emily Moore takes full responsibility for the information posted. The information on this page represents that of Emily Moore and not that of California State University, Sacramento.