• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer, October 4, 2011

Negative opinions about the performance of news organizations now equal or surpass all-time highs on nine of 12 core measures the Pew Research Center has been tracking since 1985. However, these bleak findings are put into some perspective by the fact that news organizations are more trusted sources of information than are many other institutions, including government and business, says the report.

The Pew Research Center for the People & the Press has been tracking views of press performance since 1985, and the overall ratings remain quite negative. Fully 66% say news stories often are inaccurate, 77% think that news organizations tend to favor one side, and 80% say news organizations are often influenced by powerful people and organizations.

The widely-shared belief that news stories are inaccurate cuts to the press's core mission: Just 25% say that in general news organizations get the facts straight while 66% say stories are often inaccurate. As recently as four years ago, 39% said news organizations mostly get the facts straight and 53% said stories are often inaccurate.

Evaluations of Overall Press Performance (% of Respondents)
	1985	2011
Stories often inaccurate	34%	66%
Tend to favor one side	53	77
Often influenced by powerful people and organizations	53	80
Source: Pew Research Center, July 2011

But Americans have a very different view of the news sources they rely on than they do of the news media generally. When asked to rate the accuracy of stories from the sources where they get most of their news, the percentage saying these outlets get the facts straight more than doubles. Fully 62% say their main news sources get the facts straight, while just 30% say stories are often inaccurate.

Preferred News Sources Get Best Evaluation (% of Respondents)
	Get Facts Straight	Stories Often Inaccurate
News Organizations in general	25%	66%
News Organizations used most	62	30
Source: Pew Research Center, July 2011

And the public's impressions of the national media may be influenced more by their opinions of cable news outlets than their views of other news sources, such as network or local TV news, newspapers or internet news outlets. When asked what first comes to mind when they think of "news organizations," most name a cable news outlet, with CNN and Fox News receiving the most mentions by far.

Most Named News Organization Sources (% of Respondents)
Source "comes to mind"	% of Respondents
CNN	43%
Fox News	39
NBC News	18
ABC News	16
CBS News	12
MSNBC	12
New York Times	4
NPR	3
AP	3
CNBC	1
WSJ	1
USA Today	1
PBS	1
Categories
Cable News	63
Network TV News	36
Local TV News	10
National newspaper	5
Local newspaper	4
Website	3
Source: Pew Research Center, July 2011(Multiple response OK)

Nearly seven-in-ten say they have a lot or some trust in information they get from local news organizations, while 59% say they trust information from national news organizations.

By comparison, about half say they have a lot or some trust in information provided by their state government, and the Obama administration. Smaller percentages trust information from federal agencies, business corporations, Congress, or candidates running for office.

Press Sources Relied On (% of Respondents)
	Degree of Trust
Source of Information	Not Much/None	A Lot/Some
Local news organizations	28%	69%
National news organizations	39	59
Your state government	47	51
The Obama administration	48	50
Federal government agencies	54	44
Business corporations	56	41
Congress	59	37
Candidates running for office	68	29
Source: Pew Research Center, July 2011

The public's top two sources of news remain television and the internet. Two-thirds of Americans say television is where they get most of their news about national and international events, while 43% say they turn to the internet. About three-in-ten Americans say they get most of their national and international news from newspapers. Radio was a distant fourth choice, with 19% saying they turned to it for news. (People were allowed to name up to two sources).

Over the long term the gap between TV and the internet has narrowed: Four years ago, roughly three times as many people cited TV than the internet as their main source of national and international news.

Source of National and International News (% of Respondents Saying "Main Source")
	Main Source
Year	TV	Newspaper	Internet	Radio
2011	66%	31%	43%	19%
2010	66	31	41	16
2009	70	32	32	17
2008	70	35	40	18
2007	74	34	24	13
Skip
2004	74	46	24	21
2001	74	45	13	18
Source: Pew Research Center, July 2011(Multiple response OK)

There continue to be large age differences in the main sources for national news. Among those younger than 30, the internet far surpasses television as the main source for national and international news. Television is the most frequently named source for older age groups, though the gap is fairly modest among those 30 to 49.

Those 65 and older are only age group in which more cite newspapers than the internet as a main national news source. The internet is cited about as often as newspapers by those 50 to 64, and far more often by younger people.

Age differences are less pronounced in the leading sources of local news; majorities across all age groups cite television as their main source. Those under 50 are far more likely than older Americans to say they get local news from the internet, though only about quarter do so.

Main News Source (% of Respondents by Age Group)
		Age Group
News Type	Total	18-29	30-49	50-64	65+
National/International news
Television	66%	51%	61%	75%	81%
Internet	43	65	50	36	15
Newspapers	31	24	25	33	49
Radio	19	16	21	20	15
Local news
Television	59	57	58	62	60
Internet	17	23	23	12	4
Newspapers	39	37	31	42	55
Radio	14	10	11	19	19
Source: Pew Research Center, July 2011 (Multiple response OK)

Across all groups, newspapers are mentioned more often as a source for local than national news. The difference is particularly notable among those younger than 30, who cite newspapers as a main source for national and international news.

For additional details about the study please visit Pew here