SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
At a rally in Arizona in August, President Trump called journalists "liars" and accused media outlets of not covering the event, furthering the narrative that the media fabricates stories about him. (Photo: @TPM/Twitter)
Beware: Nearly Half of Voters Think Media Fabricate Anti-Trump Stories
Trump's anti-media crusade is working, with 85 percent of his supporters saying they distrust the press
Oct 18, 2017
Though the president is a documented serial liar, a relatively large portion of the U.S. electorate--and an even higher proportion of his Republican base--think the media is publishing made-up stories about President Donald Trump.
According to a new Politico/Morning Consult poll out Wednesday, 46 percent of all people surveyed believe that news stories about Trump stories are "fabricated," while 76 percent of Republicans say the media publishes made up stories about Trump.
The president has aggressively pushed the narrative that the media publishes "fake news" about him. He has attacked news outlets for relying on sources who choose to stay anonymous--a practice often used in investigative journalism and one that has become especially prevalent during the Trump administration, as sources have shared controversial details of the White House's inner workings with the press.
Trump has also called journalists "liars" and "sick people" for the press's coverage of his comments about the Charlotteville protests, falsely accused news outlets of turning off their cameras at his rally, and suggested last week that NBC's broadcast license should be challenged due to its reporting of so-called "fake news."
He also frequently claims that others who share negative stories about him are deliberately lying, most recently on Wednesday morning when he tweeted that Rep. Frederica Wilson's (D-Fla.) account of his conversation with a military widow was "totally fabricated"--further contributing to his base's apparent belief that negative stories about the president are automatically untrue.
Some in the media took Politico's poll as a warning sign to the media to reduce its use of anonymous sources, while others pointed to Trump's persistent portrayal of the media as untrustworthy, as the direct cause of the public's low opinion of news outlets.
Some in the media took the poll's findings as a warning for journalists to reduce their use of anonymous sources, while others pointed to Trump's persistent portrayal of the media as untrustworthy to be the real cause of the public's low opinion of news outlets.
\u201cReporters need to take this poll seriously. \n\nWhen we report stories based solely on anonymous sources that are then refuted on the record, and it then becomes he-said-she-said, we lose. \n\nhttps://t.co/1aZRksU2hm\u201d— Marc Caputo (@Marc Caputo) 1508321744
\u201cHe says what he says because it works. https://t.co/9IjKdbONP6\u201d— Michael Kruse (@Michael Kruse) 1508322890
Why Your Ongoing Support Is Essential
Donald Trump’s attacks on democracy, justice, and a free press are escalating — putting everything we stand for at risk. We believe a better world is possible, but we can’t get there without your support. Common Dreams stands apart. We answer only to you — our readers, activists, and changemakers — not to billionaires or corporations. Our independence allows us to cover the vital stories that others won’t, spotlighting movements for peace, equality, and human rights. Right now, our work faces unprecedented challenges. Misinformation is spreading, journalists are under attack, and financial pressures are mounting. As a reader-supported, nonprofit newsroom, your support is crucial to keep this journalism alive. Whatever you can give — $10, $25, or $100 — helps us stay strong and responsive when the world needs us most. Together, we’ll continue to build the independent, courageous journalism our movement relies on. Thank you for being part of this community. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Though the president is a documented serial liar, a relatively large portion of the U.S. electorate--and an even higher proportion of his Republican base--think the media is publishing made-up stories about President Donald Trump.
According to a new Politico/Morning Consult poll out Wednesday, 46 percent of all people surveyed believe that news stories about Trump stories are "fabricated," while 76 percent of Republicans say the media publishes made up stories about Trump.
The president has aggressively pushed the narrative that the media publishes "fake news" about him. He has attacked news outlets for relying on sources who choose to stay anonymous--a practice often used in investigative journalism and one that has become especially prevalent during the Trump administration, as sources have shared controversial details of the White House's inner workings with the press.
Trump has also called journalists "liars" and "sick people" for the press's coverage of his comments about the Charlotteville protests, falsely accused news outlets of turning off their cameras at his rally, and suggested last week that NBC's broadcast license should be challenged due to its reporting of so-called "fake news."
He also frequently claims that others who share negative stories about him are deliberately lying, most recently on Wednesday morning when he tweeted that Rep. Frederica Wilson's (D-Fla.) account of his conversation with a military widow was "totally fabricated"--further contributing to his base's apparent belief that negative stories about the president are automatically untrue.
Some in the media took Politico's poll as a warning sign to the media to reduce its use of anonymous sources, while others pointed to Trump's persistent portrayal of the media as untrustworthy, as the direct cause of the public's low opinion of news outlets.
Some in the media took the poll's findings as a warning for journalists to reduce their use of anonymous sources, while others pointed to Trump's persistent portrayal of the media as untrustworthy to be the real cause of the public's low opinion of news outlets.
\u201cReporters need to take this poll seriously. \n\nWhen we report stories based solely on anonymous sources that are then refuted on the record, and it then becomes he-said-she-said, we lose. \n\nhttps://t.co/1aZRksU2hm\u201d— Marc Caputo (@Marc Caputo) 1508321744
\u201cHe says what he says because it works. https://t.co/9IjKdbONP6\u201d— Michael Kruse (@Michael Kruse) 1508322890
Though the president is a documented serial liar, a relatively large portion of the U.S. electorate--and an even higher proportion of his Republican base--think the media is publishing made-up stories about President Donald Trump.
According to a new Politico/Morning Consult poll out Wednesday, 46 percent of all people surveyed believe that news stories about Trump stories are "fabricated," while 76 percent of Republicans say the media publishes made up stories about Trump.
The president has aggressively pushed the narrative that the media publishes "fake news" about him. He has attacked news outlets for relying on sources who choose to stay anonymous--a practice often used in investigative journalism and one that has become especially prevalent during the Trump administration, as sources have shared controversial details of the White House's inner workings with the press.
Trump has also called journalists "liars" and "sick people" for the press's coverage of his comments about the Charlotteville protests, falsely accused news outlets of turning off their cameras at his rally, and suggested last week that NBC's broadcast license should be challenged due to its reporting of so-called "fake news."
He also frequently claims that others who share negative stories about him are deliberately lying, most recently on Wednesday morning when he tweeted that Rep. Frederica Wilson's (D-Fla.) account of his conversation with a military widow was "totally fabricated"--further contributing to his base's apparent belief that negative stories about the president are automatically untrue.
Some in the media took Politico's poll as a warning sign to the media to reduce its use of anonymous sources, while others pointed to Trump's persistent portrayal of the media as untrustworthy, as the direct cause of the public's low opinion of news outlets.
Some in the media took the poll's findings as a warning for journalists to reduce their use of anonymous sources, while others pointed to Trump's persistent portrayal of the media as untrustworthy to be the real cause of the public's low opinion of news outlets.
\u201cReporters need to take this poll seriously. \n\nWhen we report stories based solely on anonymous sources that are then refuted on the record, and it then becomes he-said-she-said, we lose. \n\nhttps://t.co/1aZRksU2hm\u201d— Marc Caputo (@Marc Caputo) 1508321744
\u201cHe says what he says because it works. https://t.co/9IjKdbONP6\u201d— Michael Kruse (@Michael Kruse) 1508322890
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.