Media Ethics and Society: Trust in the News Media

Carole Lyn Zeleny

cz812701@ohio.edu

Trust in the News Media

The Elements of Journalism: What Newspeople Should Know and the Public Should Expect (2001) by Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel, functions as a guidebook both for journalists and citizens. It was awarded the Goldsmith Book Prize from Harvard University, the Society of Professional Journalists Sigma Delta Chi Award for research in journalism, and the Bart Richards Award for Media Criticism from Pennsylvania State University. This book outlines ten elements and principals of good journalism. The obligation of journalism to tell the truth is the first element. It further states that journalists should endeavor to present the whole and unbiased truth as it appears at that moment in history. Additionally, journalist need to keep in mind that truth is subject to change over time. Additionally, Kovach and Rosenstiel state that truth in journalism is achieved by assembling and rigorously checking facts, then conveying a fair and complete version of said facts. Furthermore, these elements not only separate journalism from other forms of communication, they are what make it indispensable to democratic societies. In fact, history reveals that the more democratic a society, the more information and news it has.

The annual Ogilvy survey of over 250 reporters and editors found that journalists worldwide agree that better reporting such as citing credible sources, combined with comprehensive fact-checking is necessary to combat fake news. The survey results identify social media as a key catalyst of the fake news phenomenon. “The fragmentation of media has dramatically multiplied how consumers get their news, posing both a challenge and an opportunity for brands to tell their stories,” said Jennifer Risi, worldwide chief communications officer at Ogilvy, in a news release. Ms. Risi continued to state that “If brands want to compete in a fake-news environment, they must communicate and build trust with consumers, leveraging the trifecta of traditional, digital and social media platforms to tell their stories in a way that is authentic and true to their brand.” The survey also detailed that an overwhelming number of respondents feel the political climate has changed the way journalists now report stories. Ogilvy reported that heightened political activities and their resulting dialogue drive journalists’ reporting strategies.

The argument over media trust has the feel of people talking past each other with most journalists denying they slant the news to help one party over another. All the while the journalists' critics, especially those on the right, scoff at that denial. The Media Insight Project, a collaboration of the American Press Institute and The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, reported that deep divides over trust in the news media are usually portrayed as largely ideological. In fact, Democrats are seven times more likely than Republicans to say they trust the mainstream media, and independents are four times as likely. Those on the left, question whether basic notions of journalistic independence and open-minded inquiry are a delusion. Further stating that the press should become strictly partisan. The study determined that not all Americans universally embrace many of the core values that guide journalistic inquiry. Additionally, there is an increasing uneasiness that core values of journalism are more connected to underlying moral instincts than to politics. 'When journalists say they are just doing their jobs, in other words, the problem is many people harbor doubts about what the job should be.'

The Pew Research Center just released a study stating that Americans continue to have a complicated relationship with the news media especially in a year filled with major news stories highlighted with impeachment, a contentious election, a global pandemic and nationwide protests over racial injustice. This study also details increasing numbers of our public openly express negative views toward journalists and news organizations. Their research also determined that an increasing number of Americans remain skeptical toward the news media, questioning not only the quality of journalists’ work but their intentions behind it. Their finding further indicate that less than half of U.S. adults have confidence in journalists to act in the best interests of the public, or think that other Americans have confidence in the institution. Furthermore, Pew Research stated that our public feels that news organizations do not care about the society they report on. Their data compiled from this past year, further states that seven-in-ten (69%) of citizens believe news organizations generally try to cover up mistakes when they do happen.

This week, the 2021 Digital News Report was released from The Reuters Institute For The Study Of Journalism. This report polled 92,000 consumers regarding a range of digital news topics ranging from trust and misinformation, progress of paid business models, to the Covid-19 pandemic's impact on consumption. The study noted that Finland had the highest share of respondents agreeing "you can trust news most of the time" at 65 percent. This percentage point illustrates a nine percentage point increase since the report's prior edition in 2020. This study noted that the United States did not record the percentage gains seen in other countries. The Reuters Institute note that this was due to deep division concerning the allegedly stolen election as well as the aftermath of George Floyd's killing. With the Consequently, the U.S.A. remains listed at rock bottom with only 29 percent of citizens trusting the news, most of the time.