Gallup: Public Confidence in Newspapers, TV News Falls to All-Time Low

Gallup: Public Confidence in Newspapers, TV News Falls to All-Time Low:

"NEW YORK Public trust in newspapers and television news continued to decline in Gallup's annual survey of 'public confidence in major institutions' in the United States, reaching an all-time low this year.

Those having a 'great deal' or 'quite a lot' of confidence in newspapers dipped from 30% to 28% in one year, the same total for television. The previous low for newspapers was 29% in 1994. Since 2000, confidence in newspapers has declined from 37% to 28%, and TV from 36% to 28%, according to the poll.

However, some other institutions fared far worse this year, suggesting a broad level of distrust, cynicism or malaise.

Confidence in the presidency plunged from 52% to 44%, with Congress and the criminal-justice system also suffering 8% drops. Confidence in the U.S. Supreme Court fell from 46% to 41%. The 22% confidence rating for Congress is its lowest in eight years, and self-identified Republicans have only a slightly more positive view of the institution than do Democrats."