Two major newspapers owned by billionaires with business interests tied to the government, The Washington Post and The Los Angeles Times, prompted reader anger when they nullified their intention to endorse Kamala shortly before the election. More than 250,000 people canceled their Post subscriptions.
The non-endorsement scandals are the latest manifestation of Americans’ longstanding distrust of the news media upon which democracy depends in order to function.
In the 1970s, when the media went after Nixon, Watergate and the Vietnam War, 70% of people told Gallup they trusted the media. Now, just 31% express a “great deal” or “fair amount” of confidence in the media to report the news “fully, accurately and fairly.”
Why so much distrust? What are the different reasons people with different politics cite for their feelings?
What and how can media organizations and reporters do to restore trust?
Keywords: news media, newsmedia, news, journalism, newspapers, Washington Post, Jeff Bezos, Los Angeles Times, Pat Soon-Shiong, trust, misinformation, factchecking, bias
