Trust In Traditional Media Is At An All-Time Low. What Happened?

Reporter and bestselling author, Matt Taibbi, discusses Americans’ distrust of the media and how the media itself has played a role. Also, biomedical policy and business experts explore President Biden’s plans for COVID and the economy.

Catherine Lu

| January 22, 2021, 5:46 PM

FILE - This June 22, 2019 file photo shows the exterior of the New York Times building in New York. The New York Times says it was wrong to trust the story of a Canadian man whose claims of witnessing and participating in atrocities as a member of the Islamic State was a central part of its award-winning 2018 podcast “Caliphate.” The 12-part series won a Peabody Award and was a Pulitzer Prize finalist. But it began to unravel when Canadian authorities in September arrested Shehroze Chaudhry on charges of perpetrating a terrorist hoax. He was included in the podcast under the alias Abu Huzayfah. The Times said its journalists should have done a better job vetting him, and not included his story as part of the podcast. — FILE – This June 22, 2019 file photo shows the exterior of the New York Times building in New York. The New York Times says it was wrong to trust the story of a Canadian man whose claims of witnessing and participating in atrocities as a member of the Islamic State was a central part of its award-winning 2018 podcast "Caliphate." The 12-part series won a Peabody Award and was a Pulitzer Prize finalist. But it began to unravel when Canadian authorities in September arrested Shehroze Chaudhry on charges of perpetrating a terrorist hoax. He was included in the podcast under the alias Abu Huzayfah. The Times said its journalists should have done a better job vetting him, and not included his story as part of the podcast.

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Do you trust the media?

According to a new report by Axios, 56% of Americans agree with the statement that “Journalists and reporters are purposely trying to mislead people by saying things they know are false or gross exaggerations.”

Americans' trust in traditional media is at an all-time low.

What happened?

Today, we discuss with Matt Taibbi, author of "Hate Inc. Why Today’s Media Makes Us Despise One Another."

We also explore President Biden's plans for COVID, health and science, and the economy with biomedical policy expert Dr. Kirstin Matthews and business professor Dietrich von Biedenfeld.

Guests are:

Dr. Kirstin Mathews:

Fellow in Science and Technology Policy at Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy

Matt Taibbi:

Award-winning investigative reporter & longtime journalist for Rolling Stone
“New York Times”-bestselling author

Dietrich von Biedenfeld:

Assistant Professor in the Marilyn Davies College of Business, at the University of Houston – Downtown

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