Stories of 2009: Public vs. Press
The media’s top stories generally reflected the public’s top interests, but the press gave more coverage to politics (Kennedy’s death, Palin’s book, Specter’s switch) than the public was willing to follow.
Partisanship and Cable News Audiences
In recent years, Republican viewers have migrated increasingly to Fox News but Democrats comprise a larger share of the Fox News audience than Republicans do of CNN’s audience.
How the Public Judges News Network Ideology
The perception of Fox News as mostly conservative is shared across news audiences, but Fox News viewers are more likely to see the other cable and network stations as mostly liberal.
Strong Support For Watchdog Role, Despite Public Criticism Of News Media
The percentage of Americans saying that press criticism of political leaders keeps them honest is nearly as high now as it was in the 1980s, when views of the media were far less negative than they are today.
Press Accuracy Rating Hits Two-Decade Low
Just 29% of Americans now say that news organizations generally get the facts straight, while 63% say that news stories are often inaccurate.
Online Journalists Optimistic About Revenue, Concerned About Quality
Internet journalists see a revenue path on the web, but also say the internet is changing journalism mostly for the worse.
