Why it's okay for some to distrust journalists

By Hannah Campbell

hc895819@ohio.edu

                                                              Image by Sarah Grillo/Axios

As a journalist, our job is to be a watchdog for democracy. Therefore, our reporting needs to be fair, accurate, and objective to relay important information to our audiences. That also means journalists cannot be afraid of telling that truthful information even if it means losing the trust of some readers or viewers. 

In The Elements of Journalism, authors Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel describe how many industries have evolved or even died over the years. Yet, despite the introduction of new technology, journalism has still survived; "At its best, journalism survived because it provided something unique to a culture: independent reliable, accurate, and comprehensive information that citizens require to make sense of the world around them."

Journalism is at its best when it's 100% independent and fair, but not all agree that the media can be unbiased. 

In 2021, a study reported that 7% of adults in the United States have "a great deal" of trust in the media, and only 29% have "a fair amount." These are the lowest numbers since 2016 when former President Trump was in office and popularized the "fake news" campaign against the media.

Confirmation bias plays a factor in the distrust of the media. There will be audience members who search and believe news based on whether or not it contradicts their personal beliefs. For example, a Biden supporter may solely read positive coverage of the President and disregard negative coverage as "fake news."

Another critical factor in distrust is the question of neutrality and objectivity, whether we demonstrate two sides of specific issues and risk spreading false information or losing trust with our viewers. A typical example is the issue of climate change, as to whether or not we give a platform for people to disregard scientific information and spread misinformation. Another example is coverage of the election. Do we journalists give coverage to people who believe that the election was stolen and President Biden did not win because we want to show both sides? 

A journalist has to remain objective. Not all news will make everyone happy. We cannot be scared of doing our jobs simply because some people think what we write or broadcast is "fake news" because it doesn't match their agenda or beliefs. We also should not be promoting that kind of audience behavior. We must continue our jobs of fair and accurate reporting and risk the consequences of some distrust.