Media

Media On Trial: Was Rittenhouse Coverage Fair?

Kyle Rittenhouse was found not guilty of homicide charges last week in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and nearly half of voters believe media coverage of the trial was unfair to the teenager.

58% Of Voters Agree: Media Are ‘Enemy of the People’

Voters overwhelmingly believe “fake news” is a problem, and a majority agree with former President Donald Trump that the media have become “the enemy of the people.”

Voters Say Congress Cares More About Media Than Constituents

Congress cares more about what the media says than what their own constituents think, according to a majority of voters.

44% of Voters Believe ‘Right Wing Media’ Stoke Racial Fear

Only a third of voters believe former President Barack Obama made racial relations better in America, but a larger percentage agree with his claim that “right wing media” are frightening white people about demographic changes.

Fox News Still Tops With Conservatives, But Newsmax, OAN Make Gains

A majority of conservative voters say Fox News Channel is their preferred source for TV news, but Newsmax and One America News (OAN) have gained viewers in the past year.

Most Voters Still Don’t Trust Social Media Censorship, But Democrats Do

After Facebook extended its ban of former President Donald Trump, most voters don’t trust censorship decisions by social media companies, but Democratic voters are the exception to the rule.

Most Voters Want to End Protection for Social Media Companies After Trump Facebook Ban

In the wake of Facebook’s decision to permanently ban former President Donald Trump from the platform, a majority of voters now favor ending legal protections for social media companies.

Voters Don’t Trust Political News, Say Most Reporters Want to Help Biden

Distrust of political news reporting remains high, and more than half of voters believe the media are in the tank for President Biden.

Unlike Obama, Voters Say Media No Help to Trump

If there’s one thing voters across the partisan spectrum agree on, it’s that the media isn’t trying to help President Trump. That’s a big change from the Obama years.

Did ‘Fake News’ Sway The Election?

Still struggling to explain Donald Trump's surprise victory, Hillary Clinton and many of her supporters first blamed FBI Director James Comey. In recent days, some have turned to what they are calling "fake news" on social media sites, insisting that the deliberate spread of false information may have been a deciding factor.

23% Use Social Media To Follow Unfolding News Events

Social media sites like Twitter and Facebook are playing an increasing role in how people consume information worldwide, and nearly a quarter of Americans now say they regularly use social media to follow major news events in real time.

Forty-three percent (43%) of American Adults say that social media keep more people informed of major news events, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Twenty-nine percent (29%) don’t believe social media keep people more informed of major stories, but just as many (28%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The national survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on September 21-22, 2013 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

84% Think Most Major News Organizations More Concerned With Speed Than Accuracy

Americans strongly believe that news outlets should be more concerned with getting stories right than getting them first but feel it works the opposite way in most cases. An overwhelming 86% of American Adults believe that when it comes to reporting of news events, it is more important for the media to get the story right than to get it first. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just eight percent (8%) believe it’s more important for the news media to get the story first instead. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The national survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on September 21-22, 2013 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

54% Think Media Cover Mass Shootings Too Much

Most Americans think the media overdo it when it comes to coverage of shooting incidents like the one Monday at the Washington Navy Yard.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 54% of American Adults believe the media offer too much coverage of mass shootings like the one in Washington, DC. Just five percent (5%) think the media do not cover these incidents enough. Thirty-six percent (36%) rate the level of coverage about right. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The national survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on September 17-18, 2013 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Fieldwork for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC . See methodology.

31% Think Internet Has Had Bad Influence on U.S. Politics

Americans are becoming even less enthused about the Internet’s influence on American culture, politics and journalism.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 31% now say the Internet’s impact on American culture overall has been good for the country, down from 37% in April.  Twenty-nine percent (29%) think the Internet’s impact on American culture has been bad for the nation, while 30% say neither. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The national survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on August 6-7, 2013 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology. 

24% Buy Print Copy of Their Local Paper Daily or Nearly Every Day

The news media was abuzz this week when it was announced that the longtime owners of The Washington Post had sold the newspaper to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, a move seen by many as a no-confidence vote in the newspaper business. Fewer Americans than ever prefer reading a print newspaper to an online version, but there's also less confidence that online and other news sources can fill the void left by vanishing traditional papers.

Fifty-eight percent (58%) of Americans, when given the choice, prefer to read a printed version of a newspaper over the online version, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Twenty-nine percent (29%) prefer the online versions of papers, while 12% more are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The national survey of 1,000 Adults nationwide was conducted August 6-7, 2013 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

33% Say Media Should Withhold Names, Pictures of Violent Criminals

Following outrage over Rolling Stone magazine’s decision to put a sympathetic picture of the Boston Marathon bomber on its cover, most Americans say the media pay too much attention to the personal lives of violent criminals. One-out-of-three believes the media should withhold the names and pictures of violent criminals in order to grant them less attention.

Sixty-two percent (62%) of U.S. Adults believe the news media focus too much on the personal lives of violent criminals, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Just nine percent (9%) believe the media do not pay enough attention to violent criminals’ personal lives, while 19% say the level of attention is about right. Eleven percent (11%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The national survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on July 20-21, 2013 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

71% View Rolling Stone's Terrorist Cover Photo As A Publicity Stunt

Rolling Stone magazine sparked outrage last week when it released an image of its August issue cover featuring a flattering photograph of accused Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. The magazine’s editors maintain that the photo properly reflects the article’s message and “falls within the traditions of journalism." Most Americans don’t see the decision as an example of good journalism and agree with retailers who have pulled the magazine off the stands, but they also recognize that Rolling Stone has a right to publish what it chooses.

Seventy-one percent (71%) of American Adults believe Rolling Stone’s decision to put Tsarnaev on its cover was simply a publicity stunt, according to a Rasmussen Reports national survey. Just 10% believe the decision was an example of good journalism. Eighteen percent (18%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on July 19-20, 2013 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

52% Think Media Reacts More Quickly to Things That Affect Them

The U.S. Justice Department's secret seizure of telephone records from the Associated Press has been drawing major headlines for several days. Voters have mixed feelings about the story, but 52% of Likely U.S. Voters think the media reacts more quickly to things that affect news organizations, reporters and their friends. 

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 23% disagree and don't see media self-interest in their news choices. Twenty-five percent (25%) are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely U.S. Voters was conducted on May 15-16, 2013 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

42% Think Justice Department Trying to Bully Media in AP Case

Voters are closely divided over whether the U.S. Justice Department’s secret seizure of telephone records from the Associated Press was an effort to protect national security or an attempt to bully the media.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 42% think the Justice Department’s actions were chiefly an effort to intimidate the media. But nearly as many (38%) think Justice was primarily acting out of a concern for national security. Twenty percent (20%) are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on May 15-16, 2013 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

39% Think Media Has Done Poor Job Covering Trayvon Martin Death

The media has been criticized for its sensationalist coverage of the shooting of Florida teenager Trayvon Martin, magnifying the racial aspect of the story. NBC-TV has even had to fire a producer who edited a tape for broadcast that incorrectly made shooter George Zimmernan sound like he was singling out Martin because he was black. Americans overall give mixed reviews to the media coverage of the Martin case, but there is a wide racial difference of opinion.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 33% of American Adults rate the media's handling of the Martin death and its aftermath as good or excellent.  Thirty-nine percent (39%) think the media has done a poor job in this case.  (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 1,000 Adults nationwide was conducted on April 11-12, 2012 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.