Seeking Unity? Most Americans Have Little Trust in News Media – Survey
The commentary by Connor Cavanaugh on May 5, 2024, delves into American unity amid polarization. A poll revealed more than half of Americans have deep concerns about news accuracy during elections. Worryingly, confidence in election information is low. The discussion highlights media distrust and the impact of emerging AI technologies on misinformation dissemination. The analysis by Connor Cavanaugh on May 5, 2024, explores American unity amid polarization. A recent poll showed that over half of Americans express significant worries about news accuracy during elections. Alarmingly, trust in election information is at a low point. The conversation underscores the prevalent media distrust and the influence of advancing AI in spreading misinformation.
By Connor Cavanaugh May 5, 2024 at 11:34am
While some say that Americans are more polarized than ever, there are certainly still points that the country is relatively united on.
One such topic is a distrust of our news media.
A poll released Wednesday conducted by the American Press Institute and The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that over half of Americans (53 percent) are extremely or very concerned about news organizations reporting inaccurate information during the election.
Another 30 percent of U.S. adults said it is an issue they are somewhat concerned about.
And as to having actual confidence in the information, the number is even worse.
“Most Americans follow news about presidential (77%) and local and state elections (64%) at least somewhat closely, and more report frequently receiving news about elections from nation (50%) or local (39%) than other sources such as friends or family (21%) or individuals on social media,” the poll reported.
And yet, only 14 percent of respondents “express a great deal of confidence in election-related information they receive from national sources and only 11% say the same about local media,” the poll reported.
Fourteen percent? More Americans admit they believe in astrology.
“Misinformation” was a major talking point during both the 2016 and 2020 elections as each side accused the other of reporting false information.
Do you trust the establishment media to report fairly on the issues that matter to you?
The biggest was in 2016 when then-presidential candidate Donald Trump was reported to be colluding with Russia, a story that was ultimately shown to be baseless, yet spurred an investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller that dogged much of Trump’s presidency.
This coming election cycle will face unique problems that previous ones have not as artificial intelligence technology has expanded since 2020.
Americans have worries over how AI can be negatively harnessed to spread misinformation as 42 percent say of respondents said they were extremely or very concerned.
Other issues, such as whether news organizations will report unverified information or that news will be biased worried 47 percent and 44 percent, respectively.
It’s hard to blame Americans for their distrust of the established media.
Whether it’s news organizations intentionally ignoring or downplaying the story of Hunter Biden’s laptop or liberal news sources constantly covering for President Joe Biden’s blunders, there’s a whole list of reasons to be skeptical of the establishment media.
But while media is as untrustworthy as ever it’s also as abundant as ever.
It is no longer the 1960s when all that most Americans had to choose from were major networks and newspapers.
Conservative media outlets — like The Western Journal — aren’t hard to find.
Before the election cycle is a perfect time to begin vetting different sources and finding which you trust and which ones don’t care about integrity.
While it’s impossible to find a source of news without a bias, as long as you know what that bias is you avoid falling into an echo chamber.
The news is important but it’s just as important that it is true.
A Note from Our Deputy Managing Editor:
I heard a chilling comment the other day: “We don’t even know if an election will be held in 2024.”
That wasn’t said by a conspiracy theorist or a doomsday prophet. No, former U.S. national security advisor Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn said that to the founder of The Western Journal, Floyd Brown.
Gen. Flynn’s warning means that the 2024 election is the most important election for every single living American. If we lose this one to the wealthy elites who hate us, hate God, and hate what America stands for, we can only assume that 248 years of American history and the values we hold dear to our hearts may soon vanish.
The end game is here, and as Benjamin Franklin said, “We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately.”
All of this means that without you, it’s over. We have the platform, the journalists, and the experience to fight back hard, but Big Tech is strangling us through advertising blacklists, shadow bans, and algorithms. Did you know that we’ve been blacklisted by 90% of advertisers? Without direct support from you, our readers, we can’t continue the fight.
Can we count on your support? It may not seem like much, but a Western Journal Membership can make all the difference in the world because when you support us directly, you cut Big Tech out of the picture. They lose control.
A monthly Western Journal Membership costs less than one coffee and breakfast sandwich each month, and it gets you access to ALL of our content — news, commentary, and premium articles. You’ll experience a radically reduced number of ads, and most importantly you will be vitally supporting the fight for America’s soul in 2024.
We are literally counting on you because without our members, The Western Journal would cease to exist. Will you join us in the fight?
Sincerely,
Josh Manning
Deputy Managing Editor
The Western Journal
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