More than 3 in 4 believe traditional media reports ‘fake news’: poll

A majority of Americans believe that mainstream news outlets report “fake news,” according to a new Monmouth University poll.

More than three in four Americans said they believe that traditional television and print outlets take part in reporting fake news. 

Thirty-one percent of those polled said they believe the mainstream media reports fake news regularly, while 46 percent said it occurs occasionally.

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The survey also shows that Americans increasingly feel that fake news is reported by mainstream media outlets.

“These findings are troubling, no matter how you define ‘fake news.’ Confidence in an independent fourth estate is a cornerstone of a healthy democracy. Ours appears to be headed for the intensive care unit,” Patrick Murray, director of the independent Monmouth University Polling Institute, said in a statement.

The poll shows that 77 percent of respondents believe that fake news is reported at least occasionally, up from 63 percent who said the same last year.

The survey comes as news outlets continue to be targeted for spreading fake news.

Comedian Jimmy Kimmel on Sunday took aim at Sinclair Broadcasting Group’s move to have its anchors warn of alleged bias in other media outlets.

CNN reported that the right-leaning media company is pushing its local affiliates to read aloud a promotional campaign that condemns other news outlets for pushing “fake stories.”

President Trump, who originally promoted the term “fake news,” has continued to frequently slam the mainstream media for what he has called fake news stories, often targeting CNN and NBC News.

So much Fake News. Never been more voluminous or more inaccurate. But through it all, our country is doing great!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 26, 2018

The Monmouth University poll was conducted on March 2-5, among a random sample of 803 adults. The survey’s margin of error is plus or minus 3.5 percentage points with 95 percent confidence.