Majority of Americans don’t approve of news media’s coronavirus response, poll says
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Americans do not appreciate the way media has covered the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new survey.
A poll released Wednesday by Gallup asked 1,020 adults whether or not they approved of they way nine different leaders and organizations handled the response to coronavirus in America -- and the news media was the least favorable group.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The nine categories were U.S. hospitals, school and daycare, state government, employers, government health agencies, Vice President Mike Pence, President Donald Trump, Congress and the news media.
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“Americans are generally positive in their evaluations of how each of nine leaders and institutions has handled the response to the coronavirus situation. Eight of the nine receive majority positive ratings -- led by U.S. hospitals, at 88% approval. Only the news media gets a more negative than positive review,” Gallup analyst Justin McCarthy wrote.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Reporters raise their hands to ask President Donald Trump questions during a press briefing with the coronavirus task force, at the White House, Monday, March 16, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Only 44 percent of participants said they approved of the news media’s response to coronavirus, while Congress was the second worst, with 59 percent. Sixty percent of participants approve of Trump’s response, 61 percent approve of Pence and all other categories were above the 80-percent approval mark.
The poll also indicated that Democrats have more favorable opinions of the mainstream media than Republicans.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“Only on the news media's handling of the coronavirus are Democrats more approving than Republicans -- 61% vs. 25%, respectively,” McCarthy wrote.
The Gallup participants aren’t the only ones displeased with media amid the coronavirus crisis.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Trump, who regularly feuds with several members of the press, scolded CBS News correspondent Paula Reid on Wednesday during a press briefing about the pandemic.
Reid asked the president if his recently announced goal of reopening the economy by Easter was solely a political strategy.
"You've tweeted earlier linking the closing of the country to your election success in November. Is this Easter timeline based on your political interests?" Reid asked.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"What do you mean it's about my election success? No," Trump responded.
"You said that the media wants the country to remain [closed] to hurt your odds of being reelected," Reid continued.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"No, the media would like to see me do poorly in the election," Trump said.
The CBS News reporter grilled the president, saying lawmakers and economists have warned that opening the economy by Easter "is not a good idea." But Trump pushed back.
"Just so that you understand, are you ready? I think that there are certain people who would like it not to open so quickly, I think there are certain people that would like it to do financially poorly because they think that would be very good as far as defeating me at the polls," Trump told Reid. "And I don't know if that's so, but I do think it's so that there are people in your profession that would like that to happen."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Trump continued, "I think it's very clear that there are people in your profession that write fake news. You do, she does, there are people in your profession that write fake news."
Fox News’ Joseph A. Wulfsohn contributed to this report.