Sunday, January 11, 2009

Television News and the 80s



I found this article in the archives of The New York Times. The truly shocking
bit of information in the news piece was how many people trusted television news
anchors back in 1987:

Thirty-eight percent of those questioned in the poll, commissioned
by Cable News Network and U.S. News & World Report magazine,
said they trusted President Reagan, while 54 percent said they
trusted television anchors and 60 percent said they trusted their
spouses. Forty percent said they trusted their auto repairmen.

That's an awfully high number, it's actually close to the number of people who trust
their spouses. Their spouses! The person you promise to love for the rest of your life
and stay faithful to. Compare that to a poll conducted last year about media
believability. Exit questions: What happened? Can you think of an event or events
that severely damaged the credibility of the news media these past few decades?

I have a few ideas:



An exit video to enjoy: