ONE-THIRD OF AMERICANS say that the media is the “enemy of the people,” echoing a sentiment frequently expressed by President Donald Trump.
A Hill-Harris X poll found that 33% of Americans hold the belief of the news media, while 67% believe the media is an important part of democracy.
The poll released Monday found that the sentiment is strongest among Republicans, with 51% agreeing that media are the enemy. Just 14% of Democrats say the same. The poll found that people with a more advanced education are less likely to feel that way. Forty-two percent of people with less than a high school education compared to 31% of people with more than a bachelor’s degree say the media is an enemy.
Additionally, people who live in urban areas are less likely than people in suburban and rural areas to agree. Regionally, Americans in the Northeast are least likely to think the news media is against people.
Age also matters. Baby boomers, those born between 1946 and 1964, are the most likely to believe the media is an important part of democracy at 77%, while millennials, those born between 1981 and 1996, are the least likely at 62%.
Women are more likely than men to label the media as the enemy, 35% compared to 30%.
In 2017, Trump tweeted that the media “is the enemy of the American People!” He tweetedagain in April that the media is “truly the ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE!” The president regularly refers to journalists and news outlets as “fake news,” specifically calling out The New York Times, NBC News, ABC News, CBS News and CNN.
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