A “forceful plurality” of voters believe that the media is unfair, biased and disrespectful to President Trump, according to a new poll that parallels others that show wide support for the White House’s suspension of CNN reporter Jim Acosta’s press pass.
In the latest McLaughlin & Associates media survey provided to Secrets, five times as many voters saw anti-Trump bias to those who saw a pro-Trump tilt.
The analysis said:
The data reveal a number of compelling conclusions relating to the media bias in the United States. Most notably: A forceful plurality (48 percent) of respondents believe that media coverage is UNFAIR and BIASED AGAINST President Trump and that the media coverage and commentary following the Pittsburgh Tree of Life synagogue shooting were DISRESPECTFUL of the president (44 percent).
Pollster John McLaughlin told Secrets, “Our recent post election poll found that among all voters the plurality 48 percent thought that the media was unfair and biased against President Trump. Only 9 percent say they were biased in his favor. So it’s pretty clear that in general the media is seen as partisan and inherently divisive.”
He added, “Earlier in the year we found 77 percent can’t believe everything in the media. Only 14 percent did. So the partisan division has really hurt the media’s credibility and they may will not recover from it without a major change in tone and substance.”
Jim McLaughlin added, “The average American is much smarter than the media elites. By a 5-to-1 margin, all voters as well as independents say the media are unfair and biased against President Trump. The American people have figured out that all too often what is supposed to be news, is just simply liberal opinion masquerading as so called journalism. President Trump continues to expose the bias in the media on a daily basis.”
The numbers:
- 48 percent said the bias is anti-Trump.
- 9 percent said the bias is pro-Trump.
- 34 percent see no bias.
- 9 percent said “don’t know.”
McLaughlin also polled voters on the media criticism of Trump’s visit to the synagogue in Pittsburgh to mourn shooting victims.
Some 62 percent said the trip was “appropriate.” However, 44 percent said the media criticism was “disrespectful” and 30 percent said it was “respectful.”
