Grumpy Editor

Trust in news coverage continues to sag, finds Gallup poll

One must ask what are journalism schools turning out these days as confidence in news via newspapers, television and Internet continues to head south, observes Grumpy Editor.

A Gallup poll of those saying they have "a great deal" or "quite a lot" of confidence in news from the three major news media platforms shows:

■  Newspapers:  down to 22 percent in 2014 vs. a peak of 51 percent in 1979.

■  Television:  18 percent vs. 46 percent in 1993. 

■  Internet:  19 percent vs. 21 percent in 1999. 

“Americans hold all news media platforms in low confidence,” notes Gallup in releasing statistics from the poll conducted June 5 to 8.  “How these platforms can restore confidence with the American public is not clear, especially as editorial standards change and most outlets lack the broad reach once available to major newspapers and broadcasters.” 

Gallup also mentions, “The circulation of newspapers continues to shrink to the point that University of Southern California's Annenberg Center for the Digital Future estimates that most print newspapers will not exist in five years.”

See the full Gallup results here.

 

In case you missed these…

 

SOUTH DAKOTA GOP CALLS FOR OBAMA IMPEACHMENT.  Most weekend editors overlooked the South Dakota Republican Party state convention Saturday calling for the impeachment of President Barack Obama in a resolution that said the president has "violated his oath of office in numerous ways,” specifically citing release of five Taliban combatants in a trade for captive U.S. soldier Bowe Bergdahl, Obama's statement that people could keep insurance companies and recent EPA regulations on power plants. 

 

PENTAGON PRESS CONFERENCE INFORMATION LAGS ON-AIR COVERAGE.  At a Pentagon press conference Tuesday following the apprehension of Ahmed Abu Khattala, the suspected leader of the 2012 attack on the U.S. mission in Benghazi, Libya, inquiring media pressed for details from Rear Adm. John Kirby, Pentagon press secretary, including “where is the suspect being held” and  "where will he be tried."  Kirby, cautious and offering sketchy details, said Ahmed Abu Khattala was “in U.S. custody at a secure location.”  (CNN, Fox News and others had already reported that the suspect was being held and interrogated on a U.S. Navy ship.)  Kirby also said the suspect would be “brought back to the U.S. to stand trial.” (Word was already out to U.S. TV viewers pinpointing the trial location:  federal court in Washington D.C.) 

 

HARRY REID CONTINUES VERBAL SLAPS AT KOCH BROTHERS.  Senate majority leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) continued blasting Charles and David Koch of Wichita, Kan.-based Koch Industries Inc., calling them “the cult of Koch” from the Senate floor on Thursday, and noting “it’s not right that we have two of the richest men in the world trying to buy America.”  Last month Reid said the executives of the second largest privately-held company in the U.S. are “one of the main causes of climate change.” 

 

FAST ACTION IN OAKLAND.  While Oakland Calif.’s KTVU reporter/anchor Heather Holmes was on air with a live television report on a daylight robbery of a woman, her purse was snatched from the station’s remote truck parked near Oakland police headquarters.  Within 20 minutes of the theft, Holmes’ bank card was used at a nearby gas station.

 

ANOTHER COMPUTER MAGAZINE FADES FROM PRINT.  Last print version of Computerworld is the issue dated today (June 23).  It continues with material on its website, launched in 1996.  The magazine started 47 years ago.

 

BAD TIMING ON PUSH FOR HIGHER FUEL TAXES.  Escaping most weekend editors’ attention:  Despite gasoline and diesel fuel costs reaching higher levels almost daily, Sens. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) figured it’s time to seek a 12 cents a gallon hike in gasoline and diesel taxes over the next two years --- to pay for highway and transit programs.

Related articles

Confidence in TV news, newspapers continues to sink

Poll: Only 18% of Americans trust their TV News

Most media silent on U.S. relinquishing Internet control

Amazing to Grumpy Editor is that few media outlets, operations that depend heavily on the Internet, reported or commented on the Obama administration’s plans to relinquish control --- effective next year --- of the body that manages the Web. 

Some individuals and businesses feared the move could lead to loss of free speech if China or Russia oversee Internet content.

Created in 1998, the non-profit Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) contracted with the U.S. to manage the maintenance of Internet-related databases and tasks. 

Wall Street Journal technology reporter Gautham Nagesh suggested in a recent NPR interview that moving control of ICANN out of America’s hands could lead to a different tone when it comes to Internet freedoms, noted writer Cheryl K. Chumley in the Washington Times. 

Chunley said Nagesh added that “if ICANN’s relationship with the U.S. changes, there’s fear that eventually it could move to another country or it would no longer be under the auspices of American law, which it is currently, and that would change the nature of the Internet itself in some people’s view.” 

Also fearing the turnover to other nations, L. Gordon Crovitz, a former Wall Street Journal publisher, pointed out in a WSJ op-ed piece:  “In the past few years, Russia and China have used a U.N. agency called the International Telecommunication Union to challenge the open Internet.  They have lobbied for the ITU to replace Washington as the ICANN overseer.” 

Meanwhile, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich declared, “Every American should worry about Obama giving up control of the Internet to an undefined group. This is very, very dangerous.”

 

In case you missed these… 

MICHELLE OBAMA LEADS SIGHTSEEING IN CHINA.  Now in day four of a week-long visit to communist China, Michelle Obama, accompanied by daughters Malia and Sasha, and her mother, Marian Robinson, are busy taking in the sights, including the Great Wall, the terra cotta warriors in Xian and the pandas in Sichuan province.  The first lady’s theme for the trip is international education, including bolstering Chinese students to attend U.S. universities.  Media are mum, however, on the 70 people in Mrs. Obama’s entourage from the U.S. --- and the cost to taxpayers.

 

BUSY COVER BRINGS FROWNS TO OLD TIMERS.  Bloomberg Businessweek’s cover on the current “The Design” issue probably raises eyebrows of many “old school” layout folks.  Boldface capital letters, in different sizes, were used straight on and on all sides to tout the contents, tempting readers to turn the cover up, down and sideways. Included among the seven teasers:  “GOOD DESIGN IS LESS ABOUT TASTE BUT MORE ABOUT INTEGRITY.  (Take a look at the cover and how it was made here.)

 

L.A. CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS SEEK TO THWART MEDIA.   Reporters covering Los Angeles City Hall are grumbling over proposed changes in security measures that will affect coverage of City Council meetings.  Changes could limit access to the official City Hall “press suite,” where news conferences are held, and corridors behind council chambers.

  

DIFFICULT ECONOMY TRIGGERS MAGAZINE APPEAL TO READERS.  ConsumerReports, citing its commitment to investing more than $25 million in product testing, is asking in a “special notice to members” for contributions “because of the difficult economy” so the adless magazine won’t have to cut back in its critical work.  “Due to tough economic conditions, we’re seeing evidence that some manufacturers are beginning to ‘cut corners’ in ways that will undermine product quality and may even jeopardize product safety,” it warns.

  

N.C. NEWSPAPER SCRUBS TABLOID FORMAT.  The Daily News in Jacksonville, N.C. will revert to broadsheet format on May 1, ending nearly a five-year run as a tabloid.  Going back to the larger size follows complaints by readers and advertisers who were vocal in criticizing the smaller tabloid format.  In resuming the larger format, the newspaper returns to sections along with a new design that incorporates changes in layout and typography.

 

HAD ENOUGH OF WALL-TO-WALL TV COVERAGE OF MISSING MALAYSIAN AIRLINES FLIGHT 370?  Despite the recent focus on debris sighted in the south Indian Ocean, 1,500 miles southwest of Perth, Australia, Grumpy Editor agrees with retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Thomas McInerney, a Fox News military analyst, that the Boeing 777 more likely was hijacked and took a difficult-to-observe, over-the-ocean route to Pakistan or eastern Iran.