2LT International News
Half of America distrusts news coverage of presidential election
May 6, 2024
RESTON, Virginia: According to a poll from the American Press Institute and The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, 53 percent of Americans said they are extremely or very concerned that news organizations will report inaccuracies or misinformation during the 2024 presidential election.
The poll also found that some 42 percent expressed concern that news outlets will use generative artificial intelligence (AI) to create stories, and 47 percent of Americans stressed serious concern that news outlets would report information that has not been confirmed or verified. In comparison, 44 percent said that accurate information will be presented in a way that favors one side.
Around half of respondents said they will always or frequently rely on national news outlets for election, with the percentage being higher among older respondents, the poll found.
Michael Bolden, CEO of the American Press Institute, said, “The level of engagement is good. The thing that is most concerning is that they are not sure they can actually trust the information.”
“Years of suspicion about journalists, much of it sown by politicians, is partly responsible. People are also less familiar with how journalism works,” he added.
“There may have been a time when people knew a journalist because one lived on their block. The way the industry has been decimated, that is much less likely,” he further added.
“Simply putting out the news often is not good enough anymore. There is a growing disconnect between news organizations and communities that the outlets need to address, by helping to let people know what journalists do and how people reporting news are their friends and neighbors,” Bolden said.
He added that outlets should lean into a convenor role, bringing people together for newsworthy events.
Most of the survey’s respondents said they want national and local news outlets to highlight candidates’ values or their different positions on key social issues so they can make informed decisions about the 2024 state and local elections.
