A new poll conducted by Hill-Harris X shows that one-third of Americans surveyed have a negative view of the press.
The poll, which was released Monday, found that 33 percent of registered voters said they believe the American news media is the “enemy of the people.” However, 67 percent said it is also “an important part of democracy.”
The Hill’s Tess Bonn notes that the “survey comes as American news media grapples with maintaining the public’s trust. According to Gallup, trust in the news media is the highest it has been since 2009, but still remains levels last seen in the late 1990s and early 2000s.”
News personalities such as CNN’s Jim Acosta have voiced their frustration with President Trump’s criticisms of the media, saying the president was putting reporters in danger, Breitbart News reported.
Acosta commented:
It’s gotten to the point where his supporters, some of his supporters feel it’s okay to lash out at us in ways that I think puts us in danger. I think we have to pause, hit the pause button, and think deeply about whether or not this is the kind of country we want to hand down to our kids.
President Trump tweeted about the media on June 9. “The Failing @nytimes, & ratings challenged @CNN, will do anything possible to see our Country fail! They are truly The Enemy of the People!” he wrote.
His comments also drew criticism from actor Bryan Cranston during his acceptance speech at the Tony Award’s.
“I would like to dedicate this to all the real journalists around the world, both in the press — the print media — and the broadcast media, who actually are in the line of fire with their pursuit of the truth. The media is not the enemy of the people. Demagoguery is the enemy of the people,” Cranston said.
However, Donald Trump Jr. told Breitbart News in January that the media have “no understanding of the American people.”
“They don’t get it,” he commented. “They laugh at them. They joke about them in their little D.C. circles.”
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.