Just 46% of Americans believe that
information reported in the
is "very reliable"
or "somewhat reliable." Twenty-three percent (23%) say information in the
The data
reflects more than a generalized distrust of media reporting. The Wall
Street Journal, CNN, Fox News Channel, and local newspapers all were
seen as significantly more reliable than the Times.
|
All Adults |
Reliable |
Not Reliable |
Net |
|
Fox News |
72% |
14% |
+58% |
|
Local Newspaper |
73% |
21% |
+52% |
|
Wall Street Journal |
59% |
11% |
+48% |
|
CNN |
66% |
21% |
+45% |
|
NY Times |
46% |
23% |
+23% |
NOTE:
Reliable includes all who answered "Very Reliable" or "Somewhat
Reliable." Not Reliable includes all who answered "Not Very Reliable"
and "Not at All Reliable."
All data is from a national telephone survey of 1,000
adults conducted by Rasmussen Reports on July 14 and 15, 2003. The
margin of error for the full sample is +/-3 percentage points with a 95%
level of confidence.
Methodology
Roughly a third of the adults surveyed had no opinion as
to the reliability of data from either the New York Times or the
Wall Street Journal. There was greater familiarity with CNN
and the Fox News Channel.
The survey did not include questions to determine why
fewer Americans considered data from the New York Times reliable.
The paper has recently been stung by scandals involving its news
coverage.
From a demographic perspective, the Wall Street
Journal was seen as the most reliable source by America's growing
Investor Class. Two-thirds (68%) of Investors consider data from the
Journal reliable while just 11% do not.
|
Among Investors |
Reliable |
Not Reliable |
Net |
|
Wall Street Journal |
68% |
11% |
+57% |
|
Local Newspaper |
76% |
21% |
+55% |
|
Fox News |
73% |
18% |
+55% |
|
CNN |
65% |
24% |
+41% |
|
NY Times |
51% |
27% |
+24% |
Women rated Fox News Channel most reliable
followed by their local newspaper, CNN, the Wall Street
Journal, and the New York Times.
The New York Times did best among Democrats.
Fifty-two percent (52%) of Democrats consider the Times a
reliable source of data, while 18% do not. Among Republicans, 45% said
information from the Times is generally reliable while 27% said
it is not.
We'd love to hear your
thoughts and comments.