Rasmussen: 55% Say Media Bias Bigger Problem In Politics Than Big Contributions
Apr 7, 2010 Comments Off Pat Dollard
Voters agree that big money talks in politics but apparently not as loudly as big media.
Fifty-five percent (55%) of U.S. voters continue to think that media bias is a bigger problem in politics today than big campaign contributions, identical to the finding in August 2008.
Thirty-two percent (32%) say big contributions are the bigger problem, but that’s down four points from the previous survey. Thirteen percent (13%) more are not sure.
Thirty-eight percent (38%) of voters say they are more likely to contribute time or money to a political campaign this year compared to previous election years.
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Voters ages 30 to 49 are the most wary of the media’s influence on politics today.
Sixty-eight percent (68%) of Republicans and 62% of unaffiliated voters say media bias is the bigger problem in politics, a view shared by just 37% of Democrats. The plurality (46%) of Democrats says campaign contributions are a bigger problem.
Sixty-five percent (65%) of Mainstream voters and 54% of the Political Class agree that the bigger problem facing politics is media bias.
Just before the November 2008 presidential election, 68% of voters said most reporters try to help the candidate they want to win, and 51% believed they were trying to help Democrat Barack Obama. Just seven percent (7%) thought they were trying to help his Republican opponent, John McCain.
Fifty-one percent (51%) of voters say the average reporter is more liberal than they are. Eighteen percent (18%) say that reporter is more conservative, and 20% think their views are about the same ideologically as the average reporter’s.
As far as voters are concerned, liberal is the most unpopular of five common political labels.
Sixty-two percent (62%) believe that what the media thinks is more important to the average member of Congress than what voters think. Sixty-seven percent (67%) say the news media have too much power and influence over government decisions.
