Fox News reported that their own poll found that Donald Trump is more trusted than the media, but Fox misled and misinformed their viewers about the results.
Fox News tweeted their poll:
Fox News Poll: More trust @POTUS to tell public the truth than reporters. pic.twitter.com/rKcXGKP27e
— Fox News (@FoxNews) February 18, 2017
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The Fox News website reported the poll results as, “By a slim 45-42 percent margin, more voters say they trust the Trump administration to “tell the public the truth†than the reporters who cover the White House. Ten percent say neither….By a slim 45-42 percent margin, more voters say they trust the Trump administration to “tell the public the truth†than the reporters who cover the White House. Ten percent say neither.”
The spin that Fox News put on their poll is not true. When the margin of error is included, the media and Trump are even on trust. This fact that Trump and the media are tied regarding trust is amazing when one considers the low level of trust that the public has displayed in the media.
In a September 2016 poll, Gallup found that public trust in the media had plunged to an all-time low as only 32% of respondents expressed trust in the media. Trump has managed to cause a ten point rise in the trust of the media since taking office.
Fox News ignored the facts and put a happy spin on the poll. The reality is that the media is not trusted, but Trump has caused trust in the grow by calling the press fake news. Trump is increasing trust in the media with his attacks.
One would not know any of this if they relied on Fox News’s reporting. Anything that Fox News reports, especially as it relates to Trump, should be treated with skepticism.
Fox News is Trump state-run media, which is why viewers should never trust Fox.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
