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Report Summary Melodramatic court trials carried on television recently have enjoyed huge audiences in the United States, a new nationwide Times Mirror survey found. Fully 43% of the American public have watched at least four of five of the most sensational trials aired on TV within the past few years. The survey also suggests that […]
Report Summary While very few Americans followed news of Bobby Ray Inman’s abrupt withdrawal as nominee for secretary of defense, many agree with the criticisms he made of the press in explaining his departure from public life.
Report Summary Most Americans say they still haven’t made up their minds about Bill Clinton. But the President’s personal image has been weakened by a belief that he can’t get things done and a feeling that he breaks his promises. Six months into office few Americans can cite a Clinton achievement without prompting, and the […]
REPORT SUMMARY Many Americans think the press is being unfair to Bill Clinton, and the public most often complains that the media has come to an earlier judgment about this President’s performance than it did about his predecessors. But the public does not blame the press for being too critical of Bill Clinton, nor for causing […]
Report Summary In expressing significant doubts about press performance on the two most closely followed news events of the past month, at least two out of five Americans felt the press was too critical of the Clinton Administration and the FBI for their handling of the Waco, Texas cult tragedy. And one in three complained […]
REPORT SUMMARY Many more Americans express concern about the amount of violence on entertainment television programs than about the increasingly violent content of broadcast news. TV news, while seen as containing more graphic violence than in the past, is also seen as reflecting the reality of a violent society. Further, a large sector of the […]
Report Summary The believability of NBC News has been diminished in the eyes of the public after it admitted that it staged the explosion of a General Motors truck during a segment of the newsmagazine program “Dateline NBC.”
Report Summary Despite an upsurge in consumer confidence, the attention of the American public continues to be focused on the economy. Nearly two out of three Americans (62%) believes that the economy is still either in a recession, or in a depression, while only 34% of the public thinks that an economic recovery has begun.
Report Summary A substantial majority (55%) of the American journalists who followed the 1992 presidential campaign believe that George Bush’s candidacy was damaged by the way the press covered him. Only 11% feel that Gov. Bill Clinton’s campaign was harmed by the way the press covered his drive to the presidency. Moreover, one out of […]