How can we restore trust in media?

[Grim Reaper 6]

I think we all realize that the media worldwide is biased, and not trust worth. Below is a survey conducted in Australia that addresses this problem. Please offer your opinion on what it will take to fix the current situation, because this problem must corrected, all people deserve accurate and honest information. Without it how can we make decisions that effect all of our lives.

Featured Article:

We found people trust the news they personally consume more than the news in general, and that trust in news was higher than trust in business or government, although lower than trust in friends and educational institutions. 

Our participants deemed television the most credible source of information that provides good analysis of current events. Online news sources (including online only and mainstream media) were not viewed to be as credible or professional as traditional offline media.

https://theconversation.com/how-can-we-restore-trust-in-media-fewer-biases-and-conflicts-of-interest-a-new-study-shows-135680

[Sir Wearer of Hats]

We never should again trust the media. Be critical of everything they say.

[+and-then]

Thanks for posting this source.  I'm unfamiliar with it and look forward to doing some evaluation of the info here.

Many of the points listed here about levels of trust in OZ seem to apply in the U.S. as well.  I was surprised to find that Australians tend to trust TV news over news sources on the net.  I'm unfamiliar with their daily news providers so if they trust them, good for them.  

I can only speak for myself and my immediate circle about this issue.  There has been a MAJOR loss of trust in media in general and TV network media especially.  The schism we see between Left and Right has been crafted and escalated almost exclusively by TV media like CNN, CBS, ABC, NBC, MSNBC, and FOX.  

While the level of trust has been falling for years, what we saw from media from 2015 through today, has made it crystal clear that what these media corporations are working toward is the acceptance of uber-Left-leaning positions in government and society at large.  There is no point in rehashing their behavior toward Trump and his supporters, the facts speak for themselves to anyone with any desire to see events and actions without a filter of strong political bias.

The article correctly points to the fact that once trust is lost, it will be VERY difficult to regain.  A prime example of this occurred to FOX NEWS beginning the night of the election, 11/3/20.  That corporation had become incredibly popular and trusted by Conservatives in the U.S. from practically the day Ailes and Murdoch launched it in competition with all the other outlets that had become OBVIOUSLY Left-leaning.  Murdoch found a niche in the U.S. that did not trust the rest of the media to be unbiased.  That organization earned him billions.

The night of the election, FOX called AZ for Biden with less than 5% of the vote counted.  Meanwhile, they refused to call several states that had most of their vote counted with Trump in the lead by tens or even hundreds of thousands of votes.  IOW, they went along with the efforts that were underway around the nation and their viewers saw it and acted.  They lost a total of nearly 40% of their market share/ viewership in less than 2 weeks and it has not rebounded.  TRUST was LOST and in the roughly 4 months since, it has become clear that FOX has joined the Left in creating their brave new world.  I expect their numbers to continue to fall.  The humorous part of this is that those on the Left who hated them, always will, no matter how much they try to work with the rest of the media.

The point is that once trust is gone, IT IS GONE.  I know no one in my circle of friends, family or acquaintances who will ever again trust those MSM outlets that worked diligently to remove a duly elected president from office.  In fact, it's my opinion that if America is around for a history of this corruption to be remembered, Trump's legacy will be that he managed to fight his way into a corrupt system and expose media AND THE DC establishment (BOTH PARTIES) for what they ACTUALLY have become.  I have no doubt that eventually we'll see efforts like this study to be used to rebuild a sense of trust (gullibility) in the populace again.  Well... unless they've decided there is no going back at this point and that their 2020 "strategy" will be permanent so that they don't have to worry about dealing with the opposition any longer.

Finally, I'll leave the ONE solution that I believe might mend this focused propaganda juggernaut.  If new news organizations appear that will allow themselves to be held accountable if they broadcast or publish lies or biased information, then in time, trust MIGHT be restored.  At this point all the fluff rhetoric is OVER.  There would need to be an independent watchdog whose decisions could lead to heavy fines or even suspension of licenses .  I don't know how their independence could be assured but if everyone in the chain of providing information, risked serious consequences for knowingly publishing lies or half-truths, it would be a start toward rebuilding trust.

IOW, if journalists began having to BE journalists again instead of "influencers", maybe there would be hope.  I have no expectation that anything is going to change enough that trust will be restored.  The reality is that the Left control media, entertainment, education, and enough of the institutional power in DC that they will not yield and change because their message cannot win.  

Finally, I hope those who've focused on removing Trump for years will now wake up enough to see the very real danger we all face if our government can define political opponents as "domestic terrorists".  

[Grim Reaper 6]

7 minutes ago, and then said:

Thanks for posting this source.  I'm unfamiliar with it and look forward to doing some evaluation of the info here.

Many of the points listed here about levels of trust in OZ seem to apply in the U.S. as well.  I was surprised to find that Australians tend to trust TV news over news sources on the net.  I'm unfamiliar with their daily news providers so if they trust them, good for them.  

I can only speak for myself and my immediate circle about this issue.  There has been a MAJOR loss of trust in media in general and TV network media especially.  The schism we see between Left and Right has been crafted and escalated almost exclusively by TV media like CNN, CBS, ABC, NBC, MSNBC, and FOX.  

While the level of trust has been falling for years, what we saw from media from 2015 through today, has made it crystal clear that what these media corporations are working toward is the acceptance of uber-Left-leaning positions in government and society at large.  There is no point in rehashing their behavior toward Trump and his supporters, the facts speak for themselves to anyone with any desire to see events and actions without a filter of strong political bias.

The article correctly points to the fact that once trust is lost, it will be VERY difficult to regain.  A prime example of this occurred to FOX NEWS beginning the night of the election, 11/3/20.  That corporation had become incredibly popular and trusted by Conservatives in the U.S. from practically the day Ailes and Murdoch launched it in competition with all the other outlets that had become OBVIOUSLY Left-leaning.  Murdoch found a niche in the U.S. that did not trust the rest of the media to be unbiased.  That organization earned him billions.

The night of the election, FOX called AZ for Biden with less than 5% of the vote counted.  Meanwhile, they refused to call several states that had most of their vote counted with Trump in the lead by tens or even hundreds of thousands of votes.  IOW, they went along with the efforts that were underway around the nation and their viewers saw it and acted.  They lost a total of nearly 40% of their market share/ viewership in less than 2 weeks and it has not rebounded.  TRUST was LOST and in the roughly 4 months since, it has become clear that FOX has joined the Left in creating their brave new world.  I expect their numbers to continue to fall.  The humorous part of this is that those on the Left who hated them, always will, no matter how much they try to work with the rest of the media.

The point is that once trust is gone, IT IS GONE.  I know no one in my circle of friends, family or acquaintances who will ever again trust those MSM outlets that worked diligently to remove a duly elected president from office.  In fact, it's my opinion that if America is around for a history of this corruption to be remembered, Trump's legacy will be that he managed to fight his way into a corrupt system and expose media AND THE DC establishment (BOTH PARTIES) for what they ACTUALLY have become.  I have no doubt that eventually we'll see efforts like this study to be used to rebuild a sense of trust (gullibility) in the populace again.  Well... unless they've decided there is no going back at this point and that their 2020 "strategy" will be permanent so that they don't have to worry about dealing with the opposition any longer.

Finally, I'll leave the ONE solution that I believe might mend this focused propaganda juggernaut.  If new news organizations appear that will allow themselves to be held accountable if they broadcast or publish lies or biased information, then in time, trust MIGHT be restored.  At this point all the fluff rhetoric is OVER.  There would need to be an independent watchdog whose decisions could lead to heavy fines or even suspension of licenses .  I don't know how their independence could be assured but if everyone in the chain of providing information, risked serious consequences for knowingly publishing lies or half-truths, it would be a start toward rebuilding trust.

IOW, if journalists began having to BE journalists again instead of "influencers", maybe there would be hope.  I have no expectation that anything is going to change enough that trust will be restored.  The reality is that the Left control media, entertainment, education, and enough of the institutional power in DC that they will not yield and change because their message cannot win.  

Finally, I hope those who've focused on removing Trump for years will now wake up enough to see the very real danger we all face if our government can define political opponents as "domestic terrorists".  

Thanks for your comments, I agree with much of your thoughts here.

[Grey Area]

It’s quite an interesting observation of the human condition, and the power of a few words from a person with a very big mouth piece ‘Fake News’.

However, why do people think think that there was ever a time when the media was trust worthy?

There is a saying that harks back to the days when the media was solely written down on cheap paper:

‘DON’T BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU READ’!

This is normalcy, SNAFU.  Perhaps it is not the media that has changed it is society.

[Occupational Hubris]

The problem isn't just that people don't believe the media, but, as we have recently seen, rather that people will happily believe every word from a politicians mouth, then only follow sources that back up that position. 

[+and-then]

15 minutes ago, Grey Area said:

It’s quite an interesting observation of the human condition, and the power of a few words from a person with a very big mouth piece ‘Fake News’.

This is part of the problem with attempting to rebuild trust.  We've been actively caused to mistrust the "other" and that is a very hard thing to undo.  I'm done trying to convince anyone about the situation around Trump.  The whole thing is just too toxic.  Anyone who digs deep and has an open mind will find that a LOT of the media reportageon the Bad Orange Man was at best, inaccurate and often, clearly untrue AS IT WAS REPORTED.  Just a couple of examples... we were told for years that he called Mexicans rapists and drug dealers, as in, ALL of THEM.  It never happened.  We were told he said there were "good people on both sides" and that he was referring in part to violent white supremacist attendees at that rally.  DIDN'T HAPPEN.  There were literally hundreds of examples where CNN, MSNBC and the like created stories out of whole cloth and did so because they had created a market of hate against the guy.  No one is saying Trump isn't rude, crude, and like a bull in a china shop.  What we ARE saying is huge amounts of hate were stirred against him and his supporters by repeating lies for years.  

Don't misunderstand me.  I'm not asking anyone to change their mind about anything any longer.  I think it's way too late for that kind of healing.  I hope I'm proven wrong.  I'll say it again... when media spreads lies and are aided in it by our government, we have a serious problem on our hands.  ALL OF US.  I've been watching politics since I was about 12-15 years old and I just turned 60.  I have NEVER seen anything as destructive as this and I've never seen our government representatives using media to spread hate.  What's happening now is extremely dangerous.  It's like they WANT conflict in the streets.  

Since it's obvious to any rational person that such actions help NO American, who is it designed to help?

[Grim Reaper 6]

39 minutes ago, Occupational Hubris said:

The problem isn't just that people don't believe the media, but, as we have recently seen, rather that people will happily believe every word from a politicians mouth, then only follow sources that back up that position. 

You make a great point, and this is a major problem. Both sides of the political spectrum seem to only follow news that supports their view. It also appears that once a source of news is chosen that's the only source most people follow. I think many people have stopped being objective and thinking about the accuracy of what is being reported, like you said they just believe whatever they are told and don't give it another thought. People need to wake up and realize that this is just another form of mind control, and all political parties are perpetuating this. If enough people could wake up to this and start thinking on their own, maybe then the people could maintain some kind of control of this over flowing media toilet.

JIMO

[Occupational Hubris]

18 minutes ago, Manwon Lender said:

You make a great point, and this is a major problem. Both sides of the political spectrum seem to only follow news that supports their view. It also appears that once a source of news is chosen that's the only source most people follow. I think many people have stopped being objective and thinking about the accuracy of what is being reported, like you said they just believe whatever they are told and don't give it another thought. People need to wake up and realize that this is just another form of mind control, and all political parties are perpetuating this. If enough people could wake up to this and start thinking on their own, maybe then the people could maintain some kind of control of this over flowing media toilet.

JIMO

Absolutely it is both sides. People find their reality tunnels and just stick to them, come hell or high water. No desire to be challenged, or god forbid, be proven wrong and have to accept new information as factual. These days, if you don't like something, just jus ignore it and i isn't real. Plenty of examples throughout these forums. 

[Grim Reaper 6]

7 minutes ago, Occupational Hubris said:

Absolutely it is both sides. People find their reality tunnels and just stick to them, come hell or high water. No desire to be challenged, or god forbid, be proven wrong and have to accept new information as factual. These days, if you don't like something, just jus ignore it and i isn't real. Plenty of examples throughout these forums. 

Its truly sad that things have come to this point. Hopefully, at some point people will begin to realize the only way to truly make changes in this broken system is to wake up. Because until people stop pointing fingers and understand the time has come to start thinking on our own again it will be difficult to break this endless cycle.

Take Care 

[Occupational Hubris]

Just now, Manwon Lender said:

Its truly sad that things have come to this point. Hopefully, at some point people will begin to realize the only way to truly make changes in this broken system is to wake up. Because until people stop pointing fingers and understand the time has come to start thinking on our own again it will be difficult to break this endless cycle.

Take Care 

I mean, it's a consequence of our ever-connected world, isn't it? We have the world at our fingertips and everyone wants your attention, so they're going to tell you what you want to hear so that they get it. Get your attentions, get your eyeballs on their apps, on their pages, on their ads, etc. It's no different than it has ever been, really. Consume and be happy. Just the medium has changed.

[diddyman68]

27 minutes ago, Manwon Lender said:

You make a great point, and this is a major problem. Both sides of the political spectrum seem to only follow news that supports their view. It also appears that once a source of news is chosen that's the only source most people follow. I think many people have stopped being objective and thinking about the accuracy of what is being reported, like you said they just believe whatever they are told and don't give it another thought. People need to wake up and realize that this is just another form of mind control, and all political parties are perpetuating this. If enough people could wake up to this and start thinking on their own, maybe then the people could maintain some kind of control of this over flowing media toilet.

JIMO

There has been propaganda in the media ever since tv was invented,but nowadays they don't even try to disguise it as propaganda.

We seen the same narrative with brexit as trump.if you support either then you were a dumb,racist lowlife.

I've known about the bias for a while but these events confirmed my thoughts.maybe this is why so many people distrust the media more than ever.

I don't know if they will ever get my trust back,but if they started reporting actual facts without putting a slant on it to try to sway me a certain way,it would be a start.

[XenoFish]

The media is half truth and propaganda. Never trust it. 

[Grim Reaper 6]

19 minutes ago, diddyman68 said:

There has been propaganda in the media ever since tv was invented,but nowadays they don't even try to disguise it as propaganda.

We seen the same narrative with brexit as trump.if you support either then you were a dumb,racist lowlife.

I've known about the bias for a while but these events confirmed my thoughts.maybe this is why so many people distrust the media more than ever.

I don't know if they will ever get my trust back,but if they started reporting actual facts without putting a slant on it to try to sway me a certain way,it would be a start.

I think a good start would be to stop publishing Opinion pieces, there is really no need for these commentators opinions. Just publish the facts, and let the readers make their own opinion, of the subject or situation. This would make people start thinking on their own again, and just maybe do a little research. 

By the way, I do agree with most of what you said. I think if someone chooses to follow an individual or cause, before they blind allow the media to direct their thoughts, it may be a good idea to research it backs to it beginning.

JIMO

[Grim Reaper 6]

26 minutes ago, XenoFish said:

The media is half truth and propaganda. Never trust it. 

I agree with you, but if you do some personal research it is much easier to separate the truth from the fiction.

[TigerBright19]

Every news story in existence is simply 'a point of view' which can be interpreted or misinterpreted to mean anything the announcer or the viewer wishes it to be.  Everyone is guided by their own perspective.  Adding a subtle word here and there (even subconsciously) can change the entire meaning of what is said.  It is probably a scientific impossibility to be unbiased because we base everything on our own unique perspective and point of view.

 

Edited March 2, 2021 by TigerBright19

[psyche101]

I don't think it's changed all that much. Not for centuries. Now we have Internet. Before that TV. Before that, posters, flyers carnivals. The original snake oil salesmen. Social media is worse than any. A very strong example is how false election claims and conspiracy theories on Twitter last year have left an entre nation in two distinct pieces. It broke the "great" America in two. I totally agree Manwon. Forget opinion pieces. Some posters here think they are rock solid facts. News has shot itself in the foot there. Now people trust what they have already concluded and it's resulted in mistrust from both sides. Considering the small sample here, implications are horrendous. Problem is the media is just giving people what they want. People crave controversy, people like to think they are always correct. If facts bother one, there's places like Sky News, where you can hear what you want and have your opinion validated. Reputable sources are always around too. There's just rivers of crap to wade through these days. The internet has given the crackpots a voice and they use it. 

[HandsomeGorilla]

There never will, nor should there ever be, trust in the media

@psyche101@psyche101 is correct, media was always biased in some way or another. Now, you literally have just a few very powerful and influential people who own it all. They own the 'team' AND the opposition. The same ones channeling through 'conservative' networks are the same ones channeling through 'liberal' outlets. Honestly, it amazes me that some still don't seem to realize this; it's not even hidden, it's all right there in front of you

All, and I mean literally all outlets are biased in some form or another. As usual, the truth typically lies somewhere in the middle. That's why I think a healthier approach is to compare and contrast the same story prejudiced through various outlets, normally you can eventually get a decent gist of the story. Sometimes. 

Edited March 2, 2021 by HandsomeGorilla

[Wistman]

Resumption of the Fairness Doctrine might help with broadcast news:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FCC_fairness_doctrine

Quote

The fairness doctrine of the United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC), introduced in 1949, was a policy that required the holders of broadcast licenses to both present controversial issues of public importance and to do so in a manner that was honest, equitable, and balanced. The FCC eliminated the policy in 1987 and removed the rule that implemented the policy from the Federal Register in August 2011.^[1]

The fairness doctrine had two basic elements: It required broadcasters to devote some of their airtime to discussing controversial matters of public interest, and to air contrasting views regarding those matters. Stations were given wide latitude as to how to provide contrasting views: It could be done through news segments, public affairs shows, or editorials. The doctrine did not require equal time for opposing views but required that contrasting viewpoints be presented. The demise of this FCC rule has been considered by some to be a contributing factor for the rising level of party polarization in the United States.

 

[spartan max2]

8 hours ago, Manwon Lender said:

Our participants deemed television the most credible source of information that provides good analysis of current events. Online news sources (including online only and mainstream media) were not viewed to be as credible or professional as traditional offline media.

I'm too lazy to read but I'm curious if this part is different based upon age of the respondant. 

[+and-then]

2 hours ago, HandsomeGorilla said:

That's why I think a healthier approach is to compare and contrast the same story prejudiced through various outlets, normally you can eventually get a decent gist of the story. Sometimes. 

Edited 2 hours ago by HandsomeGorilla

Consumers of these info-products are as varied as any other group.  The youth have a better grasp of all the venues and platforms but most have no sense of urgency about the decisions being made in DC.  "News media" today is NOTHING like its predecessor from the 60s and 70s.  Today it's gone beyond simple entertainment to actual, focused political propaganda.  Roughly half the nation has no use AT ALL any longer for the "traditional" outlets due to their blatant, shameful use of propaganda to spin a message.  That message today is all about fear and hate.  

I mean, when news media are lumping 70 million Americans into a perceived "domestic terror" classification, SOMETHING is badly wrong and very, very dangerous for us all.  

[Grey Area]

9 hours ago, and then said:

This is part of the problem with attempting to rebuild trust.  We've been actively caused to mistrust the "other" and that is a very hard thing to undo.  I'm done trying to convince anyone about the situation around Trump.  The whole thing is just too toxic.  Anyone who digs deep and has an open mind will find that a LOT of the media reportageon the Bad Orange Man was at best, inaccurate and often, clearly untrue AS IT WAS REPORTED.  Just a couple of examples... we were told for years that he called Mexicans rapists and drug dealers, as in, ALL of THEM.  It never happened.  We were told he said there were "good people on both sides" and that he was referring in part to violent white supremacist attendees at that rally.  DIDN'T HAPPEN.  There were literally hundreds of examples where CNN, MSNBC and the like created stories out of whole cloth and did so because they had created a market of hate against the guy.  No one is saying Trump isn't rude, crude, and like a bull in a china shop.  What we ARE saying is huge amounts of hate were stirred against him and his supporters by repeating lies for years.  

Don't misunderstand me.  I'm not asking anyone to change their mind about anything any longer.  I think it's way too late for that kind of healing.  I hope I'm proven wrong.  I'll say it again... when media spreads lies and are aided in it by our government, we have a serious problem on our hands.  ALL OF US.  I've been watching politics since I was about 12-15 years old and I just turned 60.  I have NEVER seen anything as destructive as this and I've never seen our government representatives using media to spread hate.  What's happening now is extremely dangerous.  It's like they WANT conflict in the streets.  

Since it's obvious to any rational person that such actions help NO American, who is it designed to help?

I see you have purely focused on that single sentence referencing Trump.  That’s fine but my intention was not to invoke that debate.

My point is simply, that the media has NEVER been trustworthy.  Reinforced by the phrase don’t believe everything you read, a phrase that pre-dates the internet and TV.

Hell, in the U.K. we had papers that satirised this very premise

Trump and his supporters coined a phrase nothing more.  For the record, I don’t particularly like Trump, and I think he actively antagonised particular media outlets and handled the situation appallingly.

Brexit was another one that showed just how biased the media could be with the beloved BBC setting aside its impartiality to take a very clear remain stance.

But my point is, when has there ever been a time or a particular media brand or outlet that has been trustworthy?

 

[Grim Reaper 6]

6 hours ago, spartan max2 said:

I'm too lazy to read but I'm curious if this part is different based upon age of the respondant. 

I am not sure, but I suspect that the age of the respondant would have an effect in the survey in the article.