A survey evaluating whether Americans find it important for journalists to perform as watchdogs over elected officials found a partisan gap in opinions, with 59 percent of Republicans believing that journalists are currently going too far in this role. Among Democrats and Democratic leaners, 43 percent stated satisfaction with journalists capability in this area, although 41 percent felt that they are not going far enough in their capacity as political watchdogs.
Attitudes to whether journalists are going too far in their roles as watchdogs over elected leaders in the United States as of November 2019, by political affiliation
respondents who did not give an answer are not shown
Method of interview
Online survey
Supplementary notes
Question: Thinking beyond the current political environment, do you think that it is important or not important for journalists to serve as watchdogs over elected leaders? Do you think journalists today are...
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Pew Research Center. (February 26, 2020). Attitudes to whether journalists are going too far in their roles as watchdogs over elected leaders in the United States as of November 2019, by political affiliation [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved December 21, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1129966/journalist-capability-as-political-watchdogs-us-by-party/
Pew Research Center. "Attitudes to whether journalists are going too far in their roles as watchdogs over elected leaders in the United States as of November 2019, by political affiliation ." Chart. February 26, 2020. Statista. Accessed December 21, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1129966/journalist-capability-as-political-watchdogs-us-by-party/
Pew Research Center. (2020). Attitudes to whether journalists are going too far in their roles as watchdogs over elected leaders in the United States as of November 2019, by political affiliation . Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: December 21, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1129966/journalist-capability-as-political-watchdogs-us-by-party/
Pew Research Center. "Attitudes to Whether Journalists Are Going Too Far in Their Roles as Watchdogs over Elected Leaders in The United States as of November 2019, by Political Affiliation ." Statista, Statista Inc., 26 Feb 2020, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1129966/journalist-capability-as-political-watchdogs-us-by-party/
Pew Research Center, Attitudes to whether journalists are going too far in their roles as watchdogs over elected leaders in the United States as of November 2019, by political affiliation Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1129966/journalist-capability-as-political-watchdogs-us-by-party/ (last visited December 21, 2024)
Attitudes to whether journalists are going too far in their roles as watchdogs over elected leaders in the United States as of November 2019, by political affiliation [Graph], Pew Research Center, February 26, 2020. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1129966/journalist-capability-as-political-watchdogs-us-by-party/