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News Media Get Good Marks for Terrorism Coverage

News Media Get Good Marks for Terrorism Coverage

But public generally skeptical about media accuracy and objectivity

by David W. Moore

GALLUP NEWS SERVICE

PRINCETON, NJ -- According to the latest Gallup Poll, a majority of Americans perceive the news media to be acting responsibly in their handling of the recent threats of terrorism in the United States. But the poll also shows that, more generally, Americans are skeptical about the accuracy and objectivity of the "fourth estate." Almost six out of 10 Americans say that news stories are often inaccurate. While Americans are roughly as likely to say that the media's news coverage favors the Republican Party as the Democratic Party, 45% say that the media are too liberal, while only 15% say the media are too conservative. Perceptions of inaccuracy are not strongly related to party or ideology, but perceptions of partisan bias, predictably, are related to partisan orientation. Conservatives and Republicans are highly likely to say that the media have a liberal and Democratic bias, while liberals and Democrats say that the media show a bias for conservatives and Republicans.

The poll was conducted Feb. 17-19 and finds that 57% of Americans believe that the news media have acted responsibly "in handling the recent threats of terrorism in the United States," while 40% say the media have acted irresponsibly. After the terrorist attacks on 9/11, the public was more positive. By a margin of 86% to 12%, Americans said the media provided responsible coverage. Fifty-seven percent of Americans also said the media handled the sniper shootings last fall in a responsible manner.

Overall, do you feel the news media have acted responsibly or irresponsibly in handling the recent threats of terrorism in the United States?
Feb 17-19, 2003

Despite this positive assessment, Americans express skepticism that the news media routinely provides accurate and objective coverage. The poll shows that 58% of Americans believe news organizations' stories "are often inaccurate," while just 39% say they "get the facts straight."

In general, do you think -- news organizations get the facts straight, or do you think news organizations' stories and reports are often inaccurate?

Gallup has taken only a few readings over the past 18 years, but the results show that the public's evaluation of the media has varied considerably. In December 2000, in the wake of the controversy over the Florida election results, the public took a dim view of media coverage. By a two-to-one margin, Americans were more likely to say the media were often inaccurate than to say the media got the facts straight.

During the 1988 election campaigns, Americans seemed ambivalent, leaning toward a negative assessment in January, a positive one in May, and a negative one again in August. During "normal" coverage of the nation's politics – during the less confrontational years of 1985, 1989, and 1998 -- the public leaned toward a more positive view of media coverage.

The relatively negative assessment measured in the current poll could well be related to the intense opinions that Americans have about a potential war in Iraq. Usually, the more intense people's views, the more critical they tend to be of the media for not adequately covering their point of view.

Public Divided on Bias

About half of all Americans believe the news media generally favor a political party, while the other half believes the media favor neither party. Those who perceive a bias divide about evenly between identifying a Republican (20%) or a Democratic (23%) tilt.

Media Biased Toward Political Parties?
Feb 17-19, 2003

These views are somewhat changed from December 2000, when Americans were more likely to say the bias was in favor of Democrats over Republicans, by 29% to 15%.

While the public is about evenly divided on the existence of a party bias, it leans more strongly toward perceiving an ideological bias. Overall, about six in 10 Americans believe the news media are either too liberal (45%) or too conservative (15%). Thirty-six percent say coverage is about right.

In general, do you think the news media are -- too liberal, just about right, or too conservative?
Feb 17-19, 2003

These views are similar to those expressed in September 2002 and 2001.

Perceptions of Bias Related to Partisan Orientation

In the public's current assessment of media coverage, there are few differences among partisan groups, with Republicans, independents, Democrats, and conservatives, moderates, and liberals all giving a collective thumbs up. There are also few differences regarding whether the media get the facts straight -- all of these groups give a collective thumbs down.

On the question of partisan bias, however, opinions follow political orientation. Republicans and conservatives tend to perceive a Democratic and liberal bias, while Democrats tend to perceive a Republican and conservative bias. Independents are neutral on whether there is a party bias, while moderates are more likely to see a liberal than a conservative tilt to the news.

In general, do you think the news media are -- [ROTATED: too liberal, just about right, or too conservative]?

 

Too
liberal

Just
about right

Too
conservative

No
opinion

Views of Liberals

18%

48

32

2

Views of Moderates

43%

31

14

3

Views of Conservatives

63%

27

8

2



Survey Methods

The latest results are based on telephone interviews with 1,002 national adults, aged 18 and older, conducted Feb. 17-19, 2003. For results based on the total sample of national adults, one can say with 95% confidence that the margin of sampling error is ±3 percentage points. In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of public opinion polls.

Overall, do you feel the news media have acted responsibly or irresponsibly in handling the recent threats of terrorism in the United States?

 

Responsibly

Irresponsibly

No opinion

2003 Feb 17-19

57%

40

3



Thinking more generally about news organizations,

In general, do you think -- [ROTATED: news organizations get the facts straight, (or do you think) news organizations' stories and reports are often inaccurate]?

 

Facts straight

Often inaccurate

No opinion

%

%

%

2003 Feb 17-19

39

58

3

2000 Dec 2-4

32

65

3

1998 Jul 13-14 ^

50

45

5

1989 Aug 9-28 ^

54

44

2

1988 Aug 24 ^

40

50

10

1988 May 13 ^

48

43

9

1988 Jan 8-17 ^

44

48

8

1985 Aug 17 ^

50

38

12

1985 Jun 22 ^

55

34

11

^

Items not rotated. WORDING: In general, do you think news organizations get the facts straight, or do you think that their stories and reports are often inaccurate?



Which comes closer to your opinion -- [ROTATED: that the news media generally favor one political party over the other, (or) that the news media generally favor neither political party]?

And which political party do you think the news media generally favor -- [ROTATED: Republicans (or) Democrats]?

COMBINED RESPONSES (Q.20-21)

 

2003 Feb 17-19

2000 Dec 2-4

1995 Apr 5-6 ^

%

%

%

Total favor one over the other

48

51

47

(Republicans)

(20)

(15)

(17)

(Democrats)

(23)

(29)

(25)

(Both)

(3)

(4)

(2)

(No opinion)

(2)

(3)

(3)

Favor neither

46

41

48

FAVOR BOTH (vol.)

4

3

3

No opinion

2

5

2

^

Items not rotated. WORDING: Do you think the news media generally favor one political party over the other, or do the news media favor neither political party? Which political party do you think the news media generally favor -- the Republicans or the Democrats?



In general, do you think the news media is -- [ROTATED: too liberal, just about right, or too conservative]?

 

Too
liberal

Just
about right

Too
conservative

No
opinion

2003 Feb 17-19

45%

36

15

4

2002 Sep 5-8

47%

37

13

3

2001 Sep 7-10

45%

40

11

4




Gallup https://news.gallup.com/poll/7885/News-Media-Get-Good-Marks-Terrorism-Coverage.aspx
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