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Majority of Journalists Do Not Believe All Sides of an Argument Should Get Equal Coverage

This is in stark contrast to the general public, with 76% of Americans wanting unbiased coverage.

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A new Pew Research poll has revealed that a majority of journalists do not think both sides of political debates deserve equal coverage.

According to the poll, published on Wednesday, 55% of journalists said that every side does not always deserve equal coverage when discussing political topics, compared to 44% who believed that it was their duty to at the very least “strive” to give equal coverage to either side.

A divide in opinions can be seen in age, media type, and political leaning of the journalists in question. 63% of journalists under 30 do not believe in equal coverage, with 60% of those between 30 and 49 believing the same, as compared to their older counterparts, with an almost even split in answers.

Journalists who work in television are the most likely to think that attention should be given to every side of an argument, with 55% agreeing. Radio journalists are split down the middle, with 56% of print reporters and 61% of online reporters saying that equal coverage should not be provided.

The biggest section of journalists who think that reporting should not be evenly spread when debating contentious issues are those who work for self-described left-leaning outlets, with 69% of them not believing in fair coverage. 57% of those who work for right-leaning outlets think that all sides of the issue should be debated, with another even split of those who did not ascribe a side.

News reporters who believe that misinformation is a serious issue are also more likely to be against equally platforming differing opinions, with 59% of them saying as such. 53% of those who think it is only a moderately big problem, small, or not one at all, disagree with their counterparts.

This is in stark contrast to average Americans, with just over three quarters of American adults thinking that equal time should be given to various sides of a poltiical debate. While there are differences across age and party lines, a strong majority in every group still believes in not presenting biased coverage.

Older adults are the most likely to believe that journalists should provide equal coverage to all sides, with 80% saying so – this then falls to 71% of respondents under 30. 87% of Republicans also support unbiased coverage, as opposed to 68% of Democrats.

Trust in the media also correlates with a lack of care as to how stories are portrayed, although it still remains a majority. 66% of Americans who trust the news think that equal coverage should be strived towards, with 84% of those saying they have no or little trust thinking it is important to do so.

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Jack Hadfield
Written By

Jack Hadfield is the Associate Editor at Valiant News. An investigative reporter from the UK, and the director and presenter of "Destination Dover: Migrants in the Channel, his work has appeared in such sites as Breitbart and The Political Insider. You can follow him on Gab @JH, on Telegram @JackHadders, or see his other social media by visiting jackhadfield.co.uk.

5 Comments

5 Comments

  1. Avatar

    JOHN MAYOR

    July 13, 2022 at 4:32 pm

    Well, if AI/ Machine Learning/ Expert Systems were truly S.O.T.A., then a journalist could go onto one’s “News Coverage App” on one’s cellphone, and quickly determine whether a peer, a media outlet, a “professional” news story or a Clogger texting about a “professional” news story was worth the effort, expense and time to pursue… but, the question is: Are these “Human generated ICT technomas (Human generated ICT products and/ or services)” truly State Of The Art?

  2. Avatar

    Sandra Lee Smith

    July 13, 2022 at 10:43 pm

    Yeah, heaven forbid we disturb them with Truth or Facts!!!

  3. Avatar

    Nick1

    July 14, 2022 at 7:28 am

    Has been this way for years. Media duped the voters to get Biden in and they are trying to do the same thing for the mid terms while Dems hone their cheating skills.

  4. Avatar

    Russ

    July 14, 2022 at 8:19 am

    Funny thing how dumb people realize they are dumb but stupid people don’t realize they are stupid. AOC is stupid.

  5. Avatar

    Ernst

    July 14, 2022 at 11:11 am

    “Journalists” today think they should be creators and influencers rather than reporters of events. They would rather be fiction writers than honest reporters. And they have convinced a majority of the general public that they are unreliable and dishonest. The CNN doofus who “reported” on the Minneapolis riots as being “mostly peaceful” while buildings burned in the background remains a great example, but there are many more every day.

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