Hello Peter. Thank you for taking the time to comment. Have you seen Gallup's "Confidence in Institutions" poll? It is a five-decade long survey of confidence in US institutions such as organized religion, labor, the military, judicial system, media and so on. I am going to place a $5 bet that you will not be surprised that of the 17 institutions listed the media (internet news, television news, newspapers) are the absolute worst! Well, except for Congress. Congress is in a class of its own in terms of 'no-confidence' but, you know, it's Congress. Ok, I see that Health Maintenance Organizations are also pretty low. But your point stands! Politicians in the US are held in low esteem and the politicians meet those expectations. But the media is supposed to do better, it hasn't, and it's one of the least confidence-inspiring institutions in the US. https://news.gallup.com/poll/1597/confidence-institutions.aspx