A new Pew Study shows a majority of people think TV journalists are more important today than in the past because they “help make sense of all the info that is available.”
However, TVSpy isn’t sure how this relates to the last study that showed fewer Americans thought journalists made a positive contribution to society.
But back to the study at hand. This most recent study showed attitudes about journalists ability to sort through information remained on the positive side of the spectrum regardless of age and political affiliation. Of those polled, the people between the ages of 18 and 49 had the highest percentage of those who thought journalists were “more important” (55%). The lowest came from those 65 and older (52%).
The split between the political parties also weighted the survey. 51% of Republicans felt journalists were more important while Democrats came in at 60%.
Another positive for journalists? There’s an increasing appreciation for the media’s role as political watchdog. 68% of those polled thought the press, “keep leaders from doing things that shouldn’t be done.” That number is up from 58% in 2011.