Disapproval of COVID-19 Media Coverage Rises

A new survey suggests a majority of Americans approve of the work most public institutions and leaders are doing to stop the spread of the coronavirus. However, many disapprove of the way news media has handled the outbreak.

In a new Gallup poll, only 44 percent of U.S. adults approve of the way news media organizations are handling the coronavirus outbreak. Most other institutions and leaders surveyed received a majority of approval, including hospitals with 88 percent approval of the way they’re handling the pandemic. Political leaders like President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence received 60 percent and 61 percent approval, respectively, while Congress as a whole received 59 percent.

Along partisan lines, Republicans were more likely to approve all public institutions and their handling of the coronavirus, while only 25 percent approved of the news media handling the outbreak. 61 percent of Democrats approved of news media, while only 29 percent and 36 percent approved of Trump and Pence, respectfully.

Hospitals in New York, Washington and California are rapidly filling with coronavirus patients, and this poll shows many in the country approve of the measures being taken and the work being done by healthcare professionals. However, American's lack of confidence in accurate reporting on the coronavirus could be a detriment to stopping the outbreak as some Americans begin to gain information from alternative news sources.