Sid Salter: Voters trust varied sources for political news
That’s no longer the case. Today, the 24-hour news cycle is a gnawing beast that must be fed — which often produces what passes for news but is really a never-ending conversation about what people think about the news of the day or the hour.
The Pew Research Center earlier this year identified news sources based on what respondents told them was the “most helpful” sources. Some 24 percent identified cable TV news, with social media and local TV news coming in at 14 percent each. News websites or apps accounted for 13 percent with radio taking in 11 percent. Print newspapers accounted for 5 percent. Late-night comedy checked in at 3 percent….
…For many, the declining role of the traditional media in the 2016 election is a good thing. They don’t trust the media and see the media as their enemy. But in an age in which both Democrats and Republicans alike are embracing new media to bypass the “filter” of the traditional news media, the truth is that facts, balance and accountability are becoming casualties to who gets the most likes, retweets and shares.
Clarion Ledger
9/7/16
Magnolia Tribune
