Global Poll: Plurality See Media as ‘Divisive’, Even More Worry Journalists Mislead Through ‘Gross Exaggerations’

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A plurality of the respondents in a recent global survey view the media as a divisive force, and a majority said they worry journalists are attempting to mislead them.

The Chicago-based public relations firm Edelman has released its 22nd annual Trust Barometer, and it found that people across the world view the news media as a divisive force.

Edelman concluded that “government and media fuel a cycle of distrust.”

Asked if they view government and media as either a “dividing force in society” or “a unifying force in society,” a plurally of respondents indicated trust in both has dropped since 2021.

Forty-eight percent of respondents said they view government as a dividing force in their respective countries, while only 36 percent said they felt government is a unifying force.

With regard to the media, 46 percent called the media a dividing force, while only 35 percent indicated they see media as a unifying force.

But the poll gets worse for journalists.

Sixty-seven percent of respondents answered “yes” when they were asked if they worry journalists are “purposely trying to mislead people by saying things they know are false or gross exaggerations.”

The number is up eight points from last year.

Meanwhile, 76 percent of respondents agreed with the statement, “I worry about false information or fake news being used as a weapon.”

Edelman concluded in the Trust Barometer, “Government and media feed [a] cycle of division and disinformation for votes and clicks.”

The poll surveyed more than 36,000 people in 28 countries across six continents.