Americans believe news organizations wield too much influence over U.S. politics. However, a Pew Research survey shows social media companies face even greater scrutiny.
What We Know: More than half of Americans believe News Media outlets have too much power and influence in politics today. According to a Pew Research Center survey, 55% of U.S. adults said news organizations have too much political influence. Meanwhile, 29% said they have the right amount of influence, while 14% believe they have too little. Social media companies face even greater criticism, as 69% of Americans said they have too much political power.
What The Numbers Show: Views on traditional news organizations differ considerably along party lines. Among Republicans, 69% said news organizations have too much political influence. However, just 43% of Democrats agreed. The two parties were much closer in their assessments of social media companies. Overall, 71% of Republicans and 69% of Democrats said those platforms have too much power.
What Remains Unclear: The survey doesn’t establish which specific news organizations or social media platforms Americans believe wield the greatest political influence. Additionally, it doesn’t measure how much influence respondents believe these companies should have.
What It Means: The findings highlight growing scrutiny of the institutions that shape Americans’ access to political information. While Republicans and Democrats disagree about traditional news organizations, they largely share concerns about social media. Furthermore, the results come as public confidence in journalists remains a challenge for the news industry.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.
