Survey: Fox News most (and least) trusted for news

An annual survey ranked Fox News as the country's most-trusted news source ... and the least-trusted.

Sacred Heart University's third annual "Trust and Satisfaction with the National News Media Survey" found that Fox News topped the list when people were asked which news source they trust the most.

Fox News had 30% of the vote, then CNN (19.5%), NBC (7.5%) and ABC (7.5%).

When asked for which organization they trusted the least, people picked Fox News again (26.2%), then NBC (9.9%), MSNBC (9.4%) and CNN (8.5%).

Another interesting result from the study: Fox News' Bill O'Reilly ranked as the most-trusted news anchor on cable TV.

Here's more detail from the study

Researchers asked respondents for their perceptions of political leanings of various news sources. The Daily Show/Colbert Report was viewed, by a six-to-one margin, as mostly or somewhat liberal over mostly or somewhat conservative. By nearly five-to-one margins, respondents see “news media journalists and broadcasters,” the New York Times and MSNBC as mostly or somewhat liberal over those that see them as mostly or somewhat conservative. 

 

Fox News is viewed as mostly or somewhat conservative over mostly or somewhat liberal by a four-to-one margin. And, by approximately three-to-one margins, CNN and USA Today are viewed as mostly or somewhat liberal over mostly or somewhat conservative. The Wall Street Journal is viewed as more conservative by a two-to-one margin while National Public Radio is viewed as more liberal by the same margin.

 

Researchers read the following question to respondents: "Many considered Walter Cronkite, who recently passed away, the most trusted television news anchor. In your view, who is the most trusted news anchor today?" A total of 25 different individuals were named in the open-end format question. The top six mentioned as most trusted were Charles Gibson (19.8%), Brian Williams (17.3%), Katie Couric (9.9%), Bill O’Reilly (9.3%), Tom Brokaw (8.0%) and Jim Lehrer (2.4%).