Fishwrap: Confidence in news hits bottom

Analysis: The Washington Examiner reported recently that confidence in newspapers has hit an all time low in the latest Gallup survey, and TV news is also at a new low, the latest proof that Americans are losing faith in the media.

Gallup found that just 20 percent have confidence in newspapers, a 10-point drop in 10 years. TV news saw an identical 10-point drop, from 31 percent to 21 percent.

But it could be worse. Of all the institutions Gallup surveyed on, Congress is at the bottom, with just 9 percent having confidence in America's elected leaders, a finding that is clearly impacting the direction and tone of the 2016 elections.

Overall, said Gallup's analysis, "Confidence in banks — which took a hit amid the bursting housing bubble in 2007 and 2008, and dropped further after the ensuing financial crisis — fell the most, plunging from 49% in 2006 to 27% now. Confidence in organized religion, which has felt the effects of the scandals enveloping the Catholic Church, dropped from 52% to 41%, one point below last year's previous low of 42%. Television news, newspapers and Congress all dropped 10 points — pushing newspapers to a 20% confidence level, two points below their previous low of 22% in 2007 and 2014."

Click here for more from the Washington Examiner.

This writer suggests a corresponding thesis: The rage propelling supporters of both Donald J. Trump and Bernie Sanders is the result of frustration by citizens who can't reach cultural leaders that have betrayed America - politicians are just the easiest to remove. Votes may change national leadership, but media and the Courts caused this rage.

Americans fundamentally believe in the Rule of Law (equally applied to all), opportunity and freedom. But the monster systems of modern communication, Courts of Law, and the Power Elite are showing daily that modern leadership has placed self-interest over common good, politics over patriotism, and superficial (if not stupid) fame over wisdom.

With nothing held accountable to fact and reason; our families are in direct danger, our ability to prosper disastrously disabled and the trust on which individuals have operated daily for generations destroyed.

Under President Barack Hussein Obama; America is importing enemy armies, disarming citizens, destroying free enterprise, breaking law and empowering criminals. The court system and corporate media is skipping happily to the tune of evil. Thank George Soros and Frank Marshall Davis. That the disgraced "catch me if you can" Clinton criminal cronies assert nothing is wrong is obviously stupid, absent of fact and oblivious to documented history.

Hillary Clinton is the first candidate in American History to campaign for President while under criminal investigation by the FBI - a gutter level not ceiling breaking effort.

Today's statement by FBI Director James Comey that gross negligence by political leadership will not be recommended for prosecution is absolute proof that there is no more equality of consequences. The elite rule and the people are but subjects to the powerful. Thus individual Liberty died today.