American Views 2020: Trust, Media and Democracy, A Deepening Divide

Posted by Knight Foundation on August 18, 2020

Americans now face a contentious election and unceasing pandemic, where the media plays a vital role in keeping people informed and holding leaders accountable to their actions. They expect that of the media, and their high aspirations speak to journalism’s crucial role in our democracy.

But the gap is deepening between what Americans expect from the news and what they believe they are getting. The Knight Foundation and Gallup have released a landmark report that explores the long-term trends of American attitudes on the news media. According to the report, most Americans, perceiving increased bias in the news, are losing confidence in the idea of an objective media, and believe news organizations have shifted from observer to participant in the politics.

View the report: https://knightfoundation.org/reports/american-views-2020-trust-media-and-democracy/

These findings have important implications for the future of journalism — and our democracy. We hope you will take a moment to review the top insights on our blog: https://medium.com/trust-media-and-democracy/americans-are-losing-faith-in-an-objective-media-a-new-gallup-knight-study-explores-why-8bc87139648e.