5 reasons You Don’t trust the news media
The sharing of ‘news’ is one of the foundational parts of human survival and has evolved from a survival tactic that passed down vital information, created family legends, to a machine owned by the powerful to gatekeep information according to personal interests.
Interpersonal and group communications have always been necessary for human survival. Without communication, humans would not have survived large land predators, poisonous things, terrorist attacks, sieges, or Mother Nature. Whether it’s through talking, writing, pantomiming, or drawing, the human condition is well-documented and etched in memory. And news, whether print, televised, or online, it is necessary even for those who exist to inundate you with product advertising or fill you with fear or rage.
This is not a critique of journalism. Journalists who research and perform due diligence are a necessity. They are how uncouth characters in every segment of society are held accountable. This critique involves a business model designed to provide product placement and advertising. Everybody has to make money, but there is no denying that money blurs lines and makes boundaries less visible.
News often takes on complex and nuanced issues and compresses them into 2-3 minute digestible soundbites. Unfortunately, in a world of misinformation, that format is antiquated and often seems designed to leave the viewer with more questions than answers. A 2025 Gallup Poll showed that Americans’ trust in media fell to a historic low - 28%. The mistrust stems from public perceptions of bias, excessive corporate influence, and a fractured media landscape. Republicans and young people are more distrustful of the media than older viewers who consider themselves more liberal.
Just look at many of the widely disseminated “conspiracies” floated leading up to and during the first Trump administration. Many of those, including a global pedophile ring led by wealthy, powerful leaders of government and industry, have been played out like a game of two truths and a lie. So now the weirdo you went to high school with, who tweeted pizza emojis for the better part of a decade, seems like a shaman.
As a person who has spent more than my fair share of time in newsrooms and planning meetings, the criticisms are warranted. I watch reporters tasked with explaining complex issues with only Cliff’s Notes as a guide for the interview and put together a sensible narrative in 4-7 hours. It isn’t fair to the reporter attempting to build a career, and it isn’t fair to whoever is watching and expecting a trained professional to convey their understanding.
The business comes first in the news business, and “the business” is one of the reasons you do not trust the news.
5 Reasons You Don’t Trust the News
The reporter’s uncertainty around the story is evident
Each network, whether local or national, will cover the story from different angles, often leaving out details, the reader/viewer feels lost or worse, deceived.
News is a copycat medium. The lack of originality or personality feels empty
Sometimes, a corporate partnership can kill a story idea before it leaves the newsroom
It is really difficult to remain unbiased, you know that, and it pisses you off to watch them pretend. Or worse, not attempt to be unbiased at all.
Media corporations that have acquired news divisions do not care about you knowing the truth. The truth is, news often loses money, but it provides free promotional space for the corporation’s true money makers. Both Comcast and NBCUniversal benefit greatly from the ability to push big-screen blockbusters during a three-hour morning news block. And there’s nothing wrong with that except that it skews that narrative.
It isn’t hard to find a news outlet that will provide confirmation bias for ideas and beliefs you already hold on to. What’s hard to find is a news outlet that challenges previously held beliefs with new facts, speaks truth to power, and asks hard questions of all public servants, no matter how much reverence the media has programmed us to believe they deserve.
Search for not-for-profit news organizations in your local area, or that cover state politics. Consider supporting them monetarily. Websites cost money, travel is expensive, and quality research tools are not free. Subscribing to newsletters, engaging on social media, and providing monetary support for independent journalists are important if concerned citizens want to be in the know and have access to the best information so they can make informed decisions.
