Wiston Papers

Why Americans have lost trust in the news media

 Most Americans distrust the media to provide objective, balanced, accurate coverage of news and information.  That’s the conclusion of a Gallup Poll that shows nearly two of every three citizens today say they have little or no confidence in news organizations.  Only 40 percent of those surveyed believe we are doing a good job--the lowest figure on record.

As one who has spent his professional career as a journalism practitioner and educator, I’m dismayed by the negative reaction of the public to what we do.  But I’m not surprised.  And we in the media are fully responsible for this decline in credibility.  

Here’s why.

Today’s media now insist on publishing stories every hour every day.  In addition to their traditional core news medium, every newspaper, magazine, and broadcast station uses all communication platforms to reach its audience. Social Media now are de rigueur.

Editors and reporters in newsrooms are under increased pressure to be first on Twitter with latest headline.  Be first to post a breaking story on Facebook.  Be first to upload video to YouTube or Vimeo.  Be first to send photographs on Pinterest.  Be first on Foursquare to tell where your story is.  Be first to compose a Blog expressing your opinion about the news.  And, of course, make sure you publish your regular broadcast or print version of the story, too.

We are asked to do too much, too frequently with too few resources.  As a result we make poor editorial decisions, commit factual errors, and ignore ethical standards.

Here are some examples.

EDITORIAL DECISIONS

On September 11 this year NBC’s Today Show did not broadcast the annual observance ceremony of the terrorist attack of 2001.  Instead the network chose to interview the mother of the Karashian family, Kris Jenner, about her breast implants.

Also last month ABC News insisted on exposing viewers to daily updates about the photographs of a topless Kate Middleton.

Is it any wonder television is called the boob tube?

When not obsessed with Ms. Middleton, the networks (un)covered details about nude pictures of British Prince Harry at a Las Vegas party.  Neither the topless Middleton or the bottomless Harry were important stories.  The networks reported them only because they were easy and they were visual.  

Fox News chose to broadcast live the high-speed police chase of a stolen car.  The network stayed with the live transmission even as the suspect stopped, jumped out of the car and then shot himself to death.  Although Fox News claims it had a five-second delay on the feed, obviously someone was asleep at the switch and the suicide was seen by viewers.

The story itself had no value to anyone outside Phoenix, but Fox News carried it for only two reasons.  It had the technology to do so and the images were compelling.  But this was not an important national news story.

Following last week’s presidential debate, too many news organizations chose to speculate about the quality of moderator Jim Lehrer’s performance instead of analyzing the assertions of the two candidates.

All bad editorial decisions.

FACTUAL ERRORS

Trying to be first too often means getting it wrong.  One of the biggest domestic news stories  this year was the Supreme Court ruling on the Affordable Care Act (ACA).  All news organizations knew weeks in advance that the decision would be handed down at the end June.  

Despite claims by CNN and Fox News that they had prepared for the moment by assigning their most seasoned reporters to cover the story, both networks incorrectly reported that the court had overturned the health care act.  In fact, the law was upheld.  

CNN and Fox News rushed to break the story first and in their haste they blew it.  It was embarrassing for the two organizations. And it was inexcusable.

Last week a North Carolina television reporter, Dan Tordjman, erroneously tweeted that New York Yankees Second Baseman Robinson Cano would be suspended by Major League Baseball after testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug. The story was not true.  

It appears that the tweet was a personal reflection by the journalist and it was never actually broadcast.  However, the tweet went public and tarnished the reputation of the TV station, the journalist, and Mr. Cano.

Mr. Tordjman failed to remember that--as a journalist--he cannot separate his professional and personal lives when he uses social media.  As a public figure he will always be identified with the new organization for which he works--like it not.  

ETHICAL STANDARDS

Every news news medium has clearly stated codes of ethics that proscribe the type of behavior that can damage the organization’s credibility and violate the public’s trust.  However, today’s constant deadlines and imperative to publish simultaneously across multiple platforms have resulted in too many lapses in professional conduct.

Jonah Lehrer resigned from the The New Yorker magazine in July after admitting that he had made up quotes from musician Bob Dylan for a story Mr. Lehrer wrote.

Fareed Zakaria, of CNN and Time magazine, was suspended briefly by the two publications when he, too, confessed that he had plagiarized material for an article in The New Yorker.

Mike Daisey made up information in a public radio documentary about working conditions in a China factory.  The program was taken off the air.

New York Times journalist Jayson Blair fabricated content and stole information from other reporters during his time at the newspaper.

Stephen Glass of The New Republic likewise fabricated elements of his work for the magazine.

USA Today reporter Jack Kelley also incorporated untrue information in his stories.

Photojournalists like Adnan Hajj have manipulated photographs that appeared in news outlets including Reuters.

Gerald Posner of The Daily Beast plagiarized material for his publications.

And an NBC News producer was fired this year after editing a 911 recording to make it sound as if George Zimmerman was racially motivated when he killed Trayvon Martin.

The news media in the United States have despoiled their reputations as faithful watchdogs of society.  They have betrayed our trust in them as purveyors of accurate information. They have failed to honor their own ethical codes that promise honest reporting.  Instead of dedicating themselves to seeking, analyzing, and disseminating stories about developments and issues of importance, news organizations too often have opted for speed over accuracy.  They are more interested in the salacious than the significant.  They prefer curation of easily available material rather rather than creation of original content through enterprise investigation.

It’s time for the news media to end their misguided practice of 24/7 deadlines and multiple communication platforms in pursuit of consumers at any cost. As the latest opinion polls demonstrate, their strategy is not working.  Americans no longer have faith in us.  And if we continue our current practices, we do not deserve the public’s trust.

Steve Coon

October 08, 2012