Poll: News media's credibility plunges to new low

The news media's credibility is sagging along with its revenue. Nearly two-thirds of Americans think the news stories they read, hear and watch are frequently inaccurate, according to a poll released Sunday by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press. That marks the highest level of skepticism recorded since 1985, when this study of public perceptions of the media was first done. The poll didn't distinguish between Internet bloggers and reporters employed by newspapers and broadcasters, leaving the definition of "news media" up to each individual who was questioned. The survey polled 1,506 adults on the phone in late July. The survey found that 63 per cent of the respondents thought the information they get from the media was often off base. In Pew Research's previous survey, in 2007, 53 per cent of the people expressed that doubt about accuracy.