GALLUP NEWS SERVICE
PRINCETON, NJ -- Americans are more likely now than at any point in the previous 15 years to say that news organizations' stories and reports are inaccurate. Additionally, about half of Americans perceive that there is a bias towards one political party or the other in the way news organizations report the news, and by a two-to-one margin, those who feel there is a bias say it favors the Democrats.
When Americans are given a choice, almost two-thirds say that "news organizations' stories and reports are often inaccurate," while only one-third say that "news organizations get the facts straight." This question has been asked by Gallup several times in the past, dating back to 1985. The high point for perceptions of accurate news media coverage came in 1985 and 1998, when 55% and 54%, respectively, chose that alternative. The low point -- before this past weekend -- came in August 1988 (during a time of intense political coverage of the 1988 presidential race) when only 40% chose the "accurate" alternative. Now, 65% say that news coverage is often inaccurate; 32% say news organizations get the facts straight.
The questions about news media bias and accuracy included in Gallup's most recent poll, conducted December 2-4, did not include specific references to the Florida election controversy. However, given the Florida situation's current dominance of the news, it may well be that responses to these media questions were affected by perceptions of coverage of that ongoing presidential election controversy. Additionally, the two highly publicized miscalls of the Florida vote on election night by the news networks may have influenced Americans' responses to the accuracy question.
The public's perception of the accuracy of the media clearly has political overtones. Seventy-four percent of Republicans say the news media are often inaccurate, compared to 66% of independents and 56% of Democrats. Additionally, older Americans, particularly those 65 and above, are significantly more likely to say there are inaccuracies than are those who are younger.
The poll also asked a separate question focusing more explicitly on perceived media bias: "Which comes closer to your opinion: that the news media generally favor one political party over the other, or that the news media generally favor neither political party?" About half -- 51% -- of Americans say there is a bias in the media towards one party or the other. And, by a two-to-one ratio, those who see bias are more likely to say there is a pro-Democratic bias rather than a pro-Republican bias. These findings, unlike the accuracy question, are not much different from the last time the same question was asked, in 1995.
We can look at this bias question in a little more detail by the political orientation of the respondent:
|
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]? |
|||
|
|
Bias towards one or the other party |
|
|
|
% |
% |
% |
|
|
Total sample |
41 |
51 |
8 |
|
Republicans |
28 |
68 |
4 |
|
Independents |
43 |
48 |
9 |
|
Democrats |
49 |
40 |
11 |
Again, it is Republicans who are most likely to perceive bias, and most of the Republicans who perceive bias, not surprisingly, say it favors the Democratic Party.
A poll conducted November 26-27 asked more specifically about the news media's coverage of the Florida situation, and found a slightly less pronounced perception of bias. In that poll, 23% of those interviewed said coverage of the Florida situation was biased towards Gore, 10% said it was biased towards Bush, while 63% said it was not biased in either direction.
Cable News Channels Used Most Often to Get News About
Florida Situation
How are Americans getting their news about the Florida election
controversy? The weekend poll asked the public to rate each of 11
separate news and information vehicles in terms of its importance
as a source of "information, news and insight about the Florida
election controversy." Here is a summary of the results:
|
"How important has each of the following been to you,
personally, as a source of information, news and insight about the
Florida election controversy over the past several weeks?" |
|
|
Extremely/Very important |
|
|
Cable news networks such as CNN, MSNBC, and the Fox News Channel |
17 |
36 |
53 |
|
|
Nightly network news programs on ABC, CBS or NBC |
11 |
33 |
44 |
|
|
Local television news from TV stations in your area |
9 |
29 |
38 |
|
|
Local newspapers in your area |
8 |
25 |
33 |
|
|
Morning news and interview programs on the national TV networks |
7 |
21 |
28 |
|
|
National newspapers (New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today) |
8 |
16 |
24 |
|
|
Television news programs on Sunday mornings |
4 |
15 |
19 |
|
|
The Internet |
6 |
12 |
18 |
|
|
Radio talk shows |
5 |
11 |
16 |
|
|
Weekly newsmagazines |
4 |
9 |
13 |
|
|
Late-night talk shows such as Jay Leno or David Letterman |
2 |
4 |
6 |
|
It is apparent that the fast-moving and almost constantly changing nature of this news story is having a significant effect on how Americans are seeking to follow it. It is the cable news networks, able to devote continuous 24-hour-a-day coverage to the story, that Americans are most likely to see as important sources of information about the controversy. More traditional news sources such as the nightly network news, local television news, or newspapers are less often cited as key sources of information about the election.
Despite the ability of the Internet to provide up-to-the-minute news coverage, only 18% of the public say that the Web has been an important source of news and information about the Florida situation. Some observers have suggested that the late-night talk shows, with their constant drumbeat of jokes about the candidates and the others involved in Florida, could be an important source of information for many people. But the poll shows that only 6% of Americans say that Jay Leno, David Letterman and the like have been important sources of news or insight about the situation in the Sunshine State.
Younger Americans, not surprisingly, are most likely to say that the Internet and late-night talk shows are important -- but these sources still rank quite low among 18- to 29-year-olds, behind the cable news channels and such traditional sources as television news. However, younger Americans are slightly more likely to rate the Internet as important than they are to rate their local newspaper that way.
Survey Methods
The results reported here are based on telephone interviews with a randomly selected national sample of 1,012 adults, 18 years and older, conducted December 2-4, 2000. For results based on this sample, one can say with 95 percent confidence that the maximum error attributable to sampling and other random effects is plus or minus 4 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.
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 |
||
|
% |
% |
% |
||
|
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]?
|
2000 Dec 2-4 |
1995 Apr 5-6 ^ |
||
|
% |
% |
||
|
Favor one over the other (Total) |
51 |
47 |
|
|
(Republicans) |
(15) |
(17) |
|
|
(Democrats) |
(29) |
(25) |
|
|
(Both) |
(4) |
(2) |
|
|
(No opinion) |
(3) |
(3) |
|
|
Favor neither |
41 |
48 |
|
|
FAVOR BOTH (vol.) |
3 |
3 |
|
|
No opinion |
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? |
||
How important has each of the following been to you, personally, as a source of information, news and insight about the Florida election controversy over the past several weeks -- extremely important, very important, somewhat important, not too important, or not at all important? How about -- [ROTATED]?
A. Local newspapers in your area
|
Extremely important |
Very important |
Somewhat important |
Not too important |
Not at all important |
No |
|
|
2000 Dec 2-4 |
8% |
25 |
32 |
14 |
20 |
1 |
B. National newspapers such as the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and USA Today
|
Extremely important |
Very important |
Somewhat important |
Not too important |
Not at all important |
No |
|
|
2000 Dec 2-4 |
8% |
16 |
22 |
15 |
37 |
2 |
C. Nightly network news programs on ABC, CBS or NBC
|
Extremely important |
Very important |
Somewhat important |
Not too important |
Not at all important |
No |
|
|
2000 Dec 2-4 |
11% |
33 |
32 |
11 |
12 |
1 |
D. Morning news and interview programs on the national TV networks
|
Extremely important |
Very important |
Somewhat important |
Not too important |
Not at all important |
No |
|
|
2000 Dec 2-4 |
7% |
21 |
29 |
15 |
26 |
2 |
E. Cable news networks such as CNN, MSNBC, and the Fox News Channel
|
Extremely important |
Very important |
Somewhat important |
Not too important |
Not at all important |
No |
|
|
2000 Dec 2-4 |
17% |
36 |
26 |
6 |
13 |
2 |
F. Local television news from TV stations in your area
|
Extremely important |
Very important |
Somewhat important |
Not too important |
Not at all important |
No |
|
|
2000 Dec 2-4 |
9% |
29 |
37 |
14 |
10 |
1 |
G. Radio talk shows
|
Extremely important |
Very important |
Somewhat important |
Not too important |
Not at all important |
No |
|
|
2000 Dec 2-4 |
5% |
11 |
25 |
20 |
37 |
2 |
H. The Internet
|
Extremely important |
Very important |
Somewhat important |
Not too important |
Not at all important |
No |
|
|
2000 Dec 2-4 |
6% |
12 |
21 |
12 |
44 |
5 |
I. Late-night talk shows such as Jay Leno or David Letterman
|
Extremely important |
Very important |
Somewhat important |
Not too important |
Not at all important |
No |
|
|
2000 Dec 2-4 |
2% |
4 |
11 |
20 |
61 |
2 |
J. Weekly newsmagazines
|
Extremely important |
Very important |
Somewhat important |
Not too important |
Not at all important |
No |
|
|
2000 Dec 2-4 |
4% |
9 |
25 |
22 |
38 |
2 |
K. Television news programs on Sunday mornings
|
Extremely important |
Very important |
Somewhat important |
Not too important |
Not at all important |
No |
|
|
2000 Dec 2-4 |
4% |
15 |
27 |
15 |
36 |
3 |
|
Extremely/Very Important Summary |
|
|
Extremely/Very important |
|
% |
% |
% |
|
|
Cable news networks such as CNN, MSNBC, and the Fox News Channel |
17 |
36 |
53 |
|
Nightly network news programs on ABC, CBS or NBC |
11 |
33 |
44 |
|
Local television news from TV stations in your area |
9 |
29 |
38 |
|
Local newspapers in your area |
8 |
25 |
33 |
|
Morning news and interview programs on the national TV networks |
7 |
21 |
28 |
|
National newspapers (New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today) |
8 |
16 |
24 |
|
Television news programs on Sunday mornings |
4 |
15 |
19 |
|
The Internet |
6 |
12 |
18 |
|
Radio talk shows |
5 |
11 |
16 |
|
Weekly newsmagazines |
4 |
9 |
13 |
|
Late-night talk shows such as Jay Leno or David Letterman |
2 |
4 |
6 |
|
(vol.) Volunteered response |
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