Half of Americans believe mainstream media intend to mislead and misinform the public: Poll

Fully half of Americans believe that national news organizations intend to mislead or misinform the viewers or readers that patronize them, according to a new poll. 

The survey, released on Wednesday by the Knight Foundation in partnership with Gallup, queried respondents in order to determine "the emotional factors that drive attitudes about the news."

Asked if "most national news organizations do not intend to mislead, misinform, or persuade the public," fully 50% of respondents disagreed. 

Just 25% of respondents agreed with that assessment. More than half of respondents, meanwhile, disagreed that national news organizations "care about the best interests" of their consumers. 

Opinions on local news organizations were much stronger, with 44% believing that those networks and publications do not intend to mislead viewers and readers. 

The data, according to the Knight Foundation, "make a case for why the journalism industry should double down on efforts to rebuild the public’s trust."