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The unsurprising take-away from a September 2023 Magid research study is that U.S. news consumers are losing faith in their primary news sources. RTDNA commissioned this national study ahead of what is already developing into a massive onslaught of political advertising on television, social, radio and digital which, let’s face it, is helping fuel the distrust. Trust me when I tell you, the news media has a trust issue and it is not just the national outlets that are suffering. Local news has been dragged into the mud, and we need to do our level best to ensure we rise above it.
Political advertising — the every-other-year, lifeblood of local television stations — is more often designed to denigrate opponents and fling wild accusations than to tell us why we should actually support one candidate versus another. Like it or not, these negative messages seep into our brains as we watch the news.
Isn’t it ironic that the bulk of political advertising is aimed at local news viewers who, according to Magid, still trust their local broadcasters more than any other medium? And yet, if they chose to watch local news, they must sit through endless, mostly negative political ads in order to figure out who to support. It’s akin to bailing out a water-logged boat with a teacup. No wonder local news directors and their teams are overwhelmed.
In the study, Magid recommends leaning into fact-checking, balanced reporting, transparency