Two of three Americans say journalists should keep their opinions to themselves and just report the facts, according to a Gallup/Knight Foundation poll.
But the survey also finds strong support for reporters using social media to correct politicians who make false statements.
Gallup said 74 percent believe it’s generally a “good idea” for news reporters to interact via social media.
But only 34 percent approve of reporters sharing their personal views, while 65 percent disapprove, including 27 percent who strongly disapproved.
Democrats (47 percent) are more inclined to approve of journalists editorializing than are Republicans (25 percent) and independents (27 percent).
The Washington Examiner’s Paul Bedard said the findings “aimed directly at the Facebook, Twitter and other social media chatterings of journalists.”
He noted three-quarters “endorse reporters relying on social media to get audience input on what stories to cover and to dispute interpretations of facts reported by other news outlets.”
More than 90 percent “like it when reporters share additional information on their reporting.”
Further, “92 percent approve of the news media “correcting false or misleading statements made by politicians.”
However, Bedard said, it’s “a different story for Twitter rants.”
“Noting other polling that bias is ‘arguably Americans’ chief complaint about the news media,’ the latest survey said that people ‘prefer that reporters maintain an objective stance by sticking to the facts on social media rather than being transparent about their biases by revealing them publicly.'”
Gallup said: “In an era of low trust in media globally, which may partly stem from the rise of the internet as a news source, news organizations and journalists can use the power of technology to help restore trust. Americans widely approve of journalists using social media to interact with their audiences and those who regularly see such activity are especially positive about it.”
However, Gallup said, reporter social media activity “could also foster mistrust of the media if journalists use it to express their personal views on the day’s news.”
Americans, the poll found, “would prefer that reporters maintain an objective stance by sticking to the facts on social media rather than being transparent about their biases by revealing them publicly.”
