[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 186 (Tuesday, December 6, 2011)]
[House]
[Page H8146]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                 AMERICANS DISTRUST THE NATIONAL MEDIA

  (Mr. SMITH of Texas asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, the Pew Research Center has found 
that negative opinions about news organizations now equal or surpass 
all-time highs. In their poll, 66 percent of those surveyed stated news 
stories are often inaccurate, and 77 percent think that news 
organizations seem to favor one side over the other. And in a recent 
Gallup poll, Americans were asked how much trust and confidence they 
have in the mass media. A majority, 55 percent, responded ``not very 
much'' or ``none at all.''
  Three years ago I started the Media Fairness Caucus in Congress. This 
caucus helps encourage a free and fair media as our Founders intended. 
The purpose of the caucus is not to censor or condemn but to urge the 
media to adhere to the highest standards of their profession and to 
provide the American people with the facts, balanced stories, and fair 
coverage of the news.
  Our national media should be held accountable for their performance, 
just like any other institution. We need to remind the media of their 
profound obligation to provide the American people with the facts, not 
to tell them what to think.

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