Where do Americans place the blame for this perceived lack of fairness? Among those who say news outlets tend to favor one side, roughly eight-in-ten (83%) say this favoritism is mostly because of the news organizations themselves, not the individual journalists. Just 16% say the journalists are to blame. The most common reason that Americans see for unfair news coverage is the pushing of a political agenda. Among those who say news outlets tend to favor one side, about two-thirds (66%) say the most common source is political views or an agenda. This is far higher than the portion who say the most common reason for unfair coverage is financial interests (20%), poor journalistic practices (8%), or insufficient time and resources (6%). One potential reason the public may place the blame for unfair coverage on news organizations more than journalists is that Americans generally believe individual journalists are capable of distancing their views from their reporting. Six-in-ten U.S. adults say it is possible for journalists to fully set aside their views and opinions when reporting on an issue or event, much higher than the 39% who say they cannot do this. And while Democrats are somewhat more likely than Republicans to think journalists can distance their views from their reporting, at least half of both parties say this (65% vs. 53%). So in all fairness, it should be the journalists to get the credit.
Accusation of unfairness
