A pair of Rasmussen Reports surveys in the spring of 2010 confirmed the public’s low estimation of the media’s fairness and ethics, with majorities saying that: most campaign reporters “try to help” their preferred candidate; media bias is “a bigger problem” than big campaign contributions; and thinking that reporters “would hide” information if they thought it would hurt a candidate they wanted to win. By a nearly 3-to-1 margin, voters also said they thought the media were trying to help President Obama pass his liberal agenda.
KEY FINDINGS:
The first survey, released April 6, 2010, found that “fifty-five percent (55%) of U.S. voters continue to think that media bias is a bigger problem in politics today than big campaign contributions, identical to the finding in August 2008,” Rasmussen reported.
Suggesting that most voters perceive a liberal bias, Rasmussen determined “68% of Republicans and 62% of unaffiliated voters say media bias is the bigger problem in politics, a view shared by just 37% of Democrats. The plurality (46%) of Democrats says campaign contributions are a bigger problem.”
A second survey, released June 15, 2010, found that “68% say most reporters when covering a political campaign try to help the candidate they want to win,” vs. 23% who think most reporters “try to offer unbiased coverage.”
Rasmussen also found: “54% of voters think most reporters would hide any information they uncovered that might hurt a candidate they wanted to win, up seven points from November 2008.”
Nearly half of Americans, 48%, “think most reporters when they write or talk about President Obama are trying to help the President pass his agenda. Only 18% think most reporters are trying to block the President from passing his agenda.”
“Sixty-six percent (66%) of U.S. voters describe themselves as at least somewhat angry at the media, including 33% who are very angry.”
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