By any measure, public trust in America's news organizations has been declining for years.
People are progressively less inclined to believe what they see and read.
The press used to be viewed as playing a crucial role in keeping politicians clean, but the public increasingly thinks that the press is keeping political leaders from doing their jobs properly. For almost a year, the drama in Washington has highlighted this disconnect between newspeople and their readers and viewers. Polls show that some 60 percent of the public are prepared to let the president get on with his job. The widespread perception that the media are avid to bring down a popular president is yet another blow to public trust in journalism. Ben Bradlee, former editor of The Washington Post, is doubtful.