Key Points:
- Forty-nine percent (49%) of Americans say journalists are losing influence, compared to 15% who say they are gaining it.
- Only 45% express confidence that journalists act in the public’s best interests.
- Nearly 80% view newspaper and news website writers as journalists, but fewer say the same of TV (65%) or radio (59%) reporters.
- Honesty and accuracy top the list of desired traits, with 84% saying reporting accurately is essential.
- Partisan divide remains sharp: Republicans are far more likely than Democrats to see journalists as biased, elitist or dishonest.
A growing number of Americans believe journalists are losing their influence in society, even as majorities still say the profession plays an important role in public life, according to new survey findings from the Pew Research Center.
Nearly half of U.S. adults said journalists are losing influence, compared to just 15% who believe they are gaining ground. Only 45% expressed a great deal or fair amount of confidence in journalists to act in the best interests of the public — an indication that there are long-running concerns among Americans about the credibility of news organizations amid ongoing technological disruption that has resulted in financial strain and layoffs across the industry.
Pew’s report also showed widespread disagreement over who qualifies as a journalist. While 79% of respondents said a person who writes for a newspaper or news website counts as a journalist, the numbers were lower for those who report on TV (65%) or radio (59%). Americans were even more split over whether podcasters, newsletter writers or social media personalities fall into the same category.
“When people think of journalists, many still imagine traditional anchors like Walter Cronkite, Tom Brokaw or Lester Holt,” Pew noted, citing responses from focus groups that also included references to fictional characters such as Clark Kent.
Newer forms of media are complicating that image, leaving Americans uncertain about whether opinion hosts, commentators or aggregators qualify as journalists at all.
Despite concerns over influence and credibility, the public still recognizes the value of the profession. Fifty-nine percent of respondents said journalists are extremely or very important to the well-being of society, with another 31% calling them somewhat important. Only 9% said they were not important.
Honesty, intelligence and authenticity were the most-valued traits that Americans said they want in their news providers, regardless of whether they are traditional journalists. More than eight in 10 respondents (84%) said accuracy is an essential part of the job, and 64% said journalists should correct false claims from public figures. By contrast, relatively few believe reporters should share personal opinions on current events.
Still, more than half of respondents (58%) said journalists are biased, even as majorities also described them as intelligent (63%) and well-intentioned (58%). Partisan divides shaped many of these views. Republicans and Republican-leaning independents were far less likely than Democrats to express confidence in journalists, and more likely to describe them with negative words such as “elitist” and “dishonest.” Democrats were more inclined to view journalists as important and trustworthy.
Americans are also divided on whether journalists should play an advocacy role in their communities. Focus group participants who supported advocacy said it could help amplify underrepresented voices, while others argued that journalists should avoid activism. “If you’re a journalist, let’s stick to journalism,” one participant in his 30s said. “And if you want to be an influencer or a social change warrior or whatever, just stick to that.”
The Pew survey was conducted earlier this year with more than 9,000 Americans and supplemented by online focus groups with 45 adults.
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