President Donald Trump has repeatedly attacked the media, often referring to the Fourth Estate as an “enemy of the people.” However, only a handful of Utahns agree with him on that point.
A new UtahPolicy.com/Dan Jones & Associates survey finds:
- 42% of Utahns say the news media is crucial to a well-functioning society
- 37% believe the media is biased against conservatives
- 8% say the press is an enemy of the people
- 4% think the news media is biased against liberals
- 9% had no opinion
President Trump has railed against the news media, calling it “fake news,” especially when it reports stories that are damaging against him or his administration. Those attacks are taking hold, at least among Republicans nationwide. A recent Axios/SurveyMonkey poll found that 92% of Republicans think that traditional news outlets intentionally report news that they know is misleading or false. A recent Pew survey found that Republicans are far less likely to view the traditional news media as trustworthy than are Democrats.
In Utah, there’s a sharp partisan divide between Republicans and Democrats in perceptions of the media.
- 57% of Republicans say the media is biased against conservatives, while only 20% say the media is crucial to a well-functioning society. 10% of Utah Republicans say the media is an enemy of the people
. - 86% of Democrats in Utah say the news media is an essential part of a well-functioning society, while just 2% think the 4th estate is an enemy of the people.
- Only half of independent voters say the media is part of a well-functioning society. 28% believe the media is biased against those on the right-side of the political spectrum, while 10% echo President Trump’s assertion that the media is an enemy of the people.
The perception of media bias is acuter on the far right of the political spectrum.
- 72% of self-described “very conservative” Utahns say the media is biased against conservatives. Only 11% say the media is crucial to society, while 9% described it as an enemy of Americans.
- 53% of those who say they are “somewhat conservative” think the media is biased against the right. 28% in this group say the media is vital to society, while 8% say it’s an enemy.
- 47% of moderates say the media is essential to society. 21% say it’s biased against conservatives, and 13% think it’s against the people.
- Liberals overwhelmingly say the media is essential to society.
The Dan Jones & Associates survey was conducted May 15-25, 2018 among 615 likely Utah voters with a margin of error +/- 4.0%.
