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U.S. NEWS Tuesday 12 June 2018

Poll: Americans want more of what journalists want to report

By DAVID BAUDER of trust has declined.
AP Media Writer Lamar Walker, of Hunts-
NEW YORK (AP) — There’s ville, Alabama, said he fol-
substantial agreement on lows the news on his smart-
what Americans want from phone and smart TV and
the news media and what feels smarter for it. He thinks
journalists want to report, the news media is doing an
according to a pair of stud- “excellent” job.
ies that also reveal a trou- “As long as they’re telling
bling caveat: a nagging the truth, a lot of people
feeling among both the are going to like the news,”
ideal isn’t being met. Walker said. The poll of
Public suspicion about 2,019 adults was conduct-
journalism is also fueled by ed March 21 through April
some basic misunderstand- 17. It used a sample drawn
ings on how the process from NORC’s probability-
works, particularly in an era based AmeriSpeak panel,
of rapid change, accord- which is designed to be
ing to the twin surveys of representative of the U.S.
the American public and population. The margin of
journalists released Mon- sampling error for all adults
day by the Media Insight is plus or minus 3 percent-
Project. The effort is a col- age points. Respondents
laboration between The were first selected ran-
Associated Press-NORC Newseum visitors browse newspaper front pages displayed outside the museum in domly using address-based
Center for Public Affairs Re- Washington, Monday, June 11, 2018. sampling methods, and
search and the American Associated Press later interviewed online or
Press Institute. Anna Retana, a mother felt it was fairly accurate. of journalists view this as by phone. The poll of 1,127
The close look at attitudes of five from Emumclaw, There’s broad agreement their role. journalists was conducted
comes in the midst of Presi- Washington, said that she’s that journalists need to do There’s some good news March 1 through April 12
dent Donald Trump’s re- cut back on her news con- a better job of explaining about journalism. When using a sample selected
lentless attacks on the news sumption. their work. Sixty-eight per- Americans are asked about from a database of media
media and the continued “Most people who watch cent of the public said the their favorite news organi- contacts maintained by Ci-
downsizing of the econom- the news or read a news- media should offer more in- zation, a third of them say sion Media Research. The
ically beleaguered news- paper, they’re wanting to formation about its sources they trust it more than they margin of sampling error for
paper industry. It has left find out the truth,” Retana — and 66 percent of the did a year ago, while only all journalists is plus or minus
journalists beaten down: said. “They don’t want to journalists agree. Nearly about 1 in 10 say their level 3.5 percentage points.q
The surveys found about 3 have tons of propaganda half of the public said jour-
in 4 journalists believe the to sift through, and that’s nalists should explain how
public’s level of trust in the what we see a lot of.” their story was reported
news media has decreased Journalists can’t take for and 42 percent of the jour-
in the past year. Yet only 44 granted that the public nalists said the same thing.
percent of American adults knows what it’s getting, “You need to explain the
actually say their level of Rosenstiel said. Much of mystery of how the meal
trust has decreased. journalism’s shared lan- was cooked,” Rosenstiel
The public actually wants guage and structure is said. “We ought to take a
what most journalists say rooted in newspapers, yet cue from the way people
they want to give them — many Americans get their go to the grocery store. Be-
news stories that are fac- news through social media fore they buy something,
tual and offer context and streams, where it isn’t al- they need to learn what
analysis, said Tom Rosen- ways clear from where sto- the ingredients are.”
stiel, executive director of ries come, Rosenstiel said. The public and journalists
the American Press Institute. Newspapers have “op-ed” answered similarly on what
But the public doesn’t feel sections, yet half of the each thought the media
like they’re seeing enough public doesn’t know what should be doing, with one
of that work, with 42 per- the term means. major exception. Only
cent of Americans saying That may contribute to the a little more than half of
journalists stray too far into finding that most American the people said the press
commentary, according to adults aged 18 to 29 think should act as a watchdog
the new research. the news is fairly inaccu- to powerful people and in-
That’s one reason that rate, while most above 30 stitutions, while 93 percent