Politicians
frequently rail against the news media, but rarely has the criticism been as
harsh as it is today. President Donald Trump has made little effort to conceal
his contempt for the press, calling unfavorable stories “fake news” and the
mainstream media “the enemy of the people.”
Research reveals that most Americans’ trust in the news media has declined, and conservatives and evangelicals show a marked lack of trust. But it would be a mistake to attribute the recent drop to any one institution, individual or event. “The conservative skepticism of the media runs deep,” CNN’s S.E. Cupp wrote. “Believe me, President Donald Trump didn’t invent it.”
Digital
innovations have revolutionized the way the media distributes and people
consume the news, often with unforeseen consequences.
“This has created confusion for users who are looking at
‘news’ on their phones — often sharing it blindly with their networks without
knowing the source or where it came
from,” said Jennifer Preston, Knight Foundation vice president for
journalism. “It has also destroyed the traditional business model that has long
supported the production of local journalism and news, leaving many people with
fewer reliable local sources. At the same time, it has produced myriad
opportunities for engagement — in fact, digital and mobile technologies are
essential to engagement in the 21st century.”
The
better you understand how the media landscape has changed, the better equipped
you will be to separate the wheat from the chaff in this information age.
Growing public mistrust in the news
Fifty years ago, many medium-sized towns had two newspapers, one in the morning and one in the evening, as their main sources of local news. There were three major television networks, ABC, CBS, and NBC, with local affiliates, plus radio stations up and down the dial. For beautiful pictures or perspective on the news, people read weekly magazines…
… Read More
—
Click Read More to read the rest of the story from our content source/partners – Denison Forum.