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Scott Rasmussen's Number of the Day for January 19, 2018
The Number of the Day columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author.
January 19, 2018: Just 13% of Americans believe that the media does a very good job covering both sides of political issues fairly. Pew Research finds that a somewhat larger number, 22%, believe that the media does not do this well at all.[1]
Most Americans rate the media performance in this regard somewhat more modestly. Thirty-four percent (34%) say that journalists cover both sides of an issue somewhat well, while 20% say not very well.
There is a strong partisan divide on these numbers. Just 21% of Republicans believe the media covers both sides even somewhat well. Fifty-five percent (55%) of other voters voice such confidence.
The 34 percentage-point gap along partisan lines is far larger than is found in any other country. “The U.S. is also one of only a few countries where governing party supporters are less satisfied with their news media than are nonsupporters.”[1]
These numbers clash with public expectations of appropriate media behavior. Seventy-eight percent (78%) say that “it is never acceptable for a news organization to favor one political party over others when reporting the news. Just 20% say this is sometimes okay.”[1]
Each weekday, Scott Rasmussen’s Number of the Day explores interesting and newsworthy topics at the intersection of culture, politics, and technology.
- January 18, 2018 – 10 percent of U.S. House races may be competitive
- January 17, 2018 – 48 Democratic primaries to watch
- January 16, 2018 – 62 Republican primaries to watch
- January 15, 2018 – 1,651 words in Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech
- January 12, 2018 – 46 percent of Americans know someone who is or has been addicted to drugs
- To see other recent numbers, check out the archive.
Scott Rasmussen’s Number of the Day is published by Ballotpedia weekdays at 8:00 a.m. Eastern. Click here to check out the latest update.
The Number of the Day is broadcast on local stations across the country. An archive of these broadcasts can be found here.
Columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author.
Ballotpedia is the nonprofit, nonpartisan Encyclopedia of American Politics.
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