Cable News

Cable News has played an important role in the modern era in helping the spread of news and information globally with their unrivaled coverage and accessability. But once regarded as a primary and credible source of news for the millions who subscribe to cable news -indeed a 2006 survey showed many countries trust cable news more than their own governments- countless new surveys have shown a steady decrease in the public's trust towards Cable News Media like CNN and Fox News. We examine some of the reasons for the widening of the credibility gap.

The Medias Role in the Iraq War

Fox News


A big cause of the growing distrust towards the mainstream news media is their alleged role in the buildup to the Iraq war, an issue that is still debated today. Many felt that the major mainstream outlets, CNN, Fox News (which is shown on New Zealand local television), failed to ask the tough questions and thoroughly investigate the Bush administration’s justification for invading Iraq. Some even felt that the mainstream media, caught up in wave of patriotism, led the drumbeat to war, and sometimes deliberately spreading misinformation.

A study conducted by the Program on International Policy (PIPA) at the University of Maryland and Knowledge Networks, reveals that a big majority, more than half of Americans have had significant misperceptions about the war. The study also reveals that the frequency of these misperceptions varies significantly according to individuals’ primary source of news. Those who primarily watch Fox News are significantly more likely to have misperceptions, while those who primarily watch PBS are significantly less likely. Strong majorities of CBS, ABC, NBC and CNN viewers were also misinformed.
News outlets ideologically allied with Bush have been happy to assist in confusing the public about who had attacked us on 9/11 and in morphing our enemy from Al-Qaeda to Iraq. The Fox News Channel runs its "War on Terror" banner whether discussing Afghanistan or Iraq. Other outlets promoted the Saddam/911 confusion less out of ideology than ineptitude -- during a live, pre-war news conference at which the chief of Homeland Security described new terrorist threats from Al-Qaeda, MSNBC ran its banner: "Showdown with Saddam." That half or more Americans think Iraq was involved in the 9/11 attack -- perhaps the most media-covered event in history -- stands as a horrific indictment of U.S. media today.

References

Misperceptions, the media and the Iraq war. Retrieved October 8, 2008, from World Public Opinion Web site: http://www.worldpublicopinion.org/pipa/articles/international_security_bt/102.php