Monday, June 27, 2005
RESEARCH: Pew Center research finds public critical of media coverage
COVERAGE
Survey on news media finds wide displeasure
Summary from SPJ PressNotes for Monday, June 27, 2005
Compiled by Robert Greene
Ward Neff Intern
Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication
The University of Oklahoma
The latest survey by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press
has found overwhelming dissatisfaction with news organizations, with a
rising number of people saying that news media were "too critical of
America." And while Democrats have been more satisfied with the news media
than Republicans, the survey found a marked increase in the number of
Democrats who said they believed that reporters were too soft on the Bush
administration. The survey found "a startling rise in the politicization
of opinions on several measures," and its authors said the results
reflected the increasing political polarization of the country. This was
especially pronounced on the question of whether news outlets "stand up
for America" or are too critical of America. "Republicans increasingly
express the view that the press is excessively critical of the United
States," the survey said, with 67 percent agreeing with that statement now
compared with 42 percent in July 2002. About a quarter !
of Democrats say news organizations are too critical, the same level as
three years ago.
Source: Katharine Q. Seelye, The New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/27/business/media/27pew.html
Link: Pew report
http://people-press.org/reports/display.php3?ReportID=248
