The Pew Research Center asked Americans to rate certain professions by their perceived contribution to society.
While the Military ranked highest with more than three-quarters of Americans (78%) saying they think the Armed Forces contribute “a lot” to society, Journalists came in near the bottom with just 28% saying the Press contribute “a lot.” That number is down 10% from 2009, when 38% of Americans viewed Journalists positively.
The survey also broke down whether those polled thought occupations contributed “a lot,” “some,” or “not very much/nothing.” Journalists were split fairly evenly in being perceived as contributing “a lot” or “not very much/nothing.” Most of those polled (42%) thought journalists contributed “some.”
Another interesting take away is that, according to the study, more women have lost faith in the media than men in the last four years. The study shows a 17% drop from 46% of women saying they think journalists contribute to society compared to 29% since 2009.
Click here to view the entire study.