In 2017, Knight and the Aspen Institute Communications and Society Program established the Knight Commission on Trust, Media and Democracy to examine the causes and consequences of the public’s declining trust in journalism. Consequently, Knight partnered with Gallup to launch a multiyear initiative, from 2017 to 2022, aiming to provide dependable, academic-quality research to inform a nationwide conversation on news and democracy in America.
The culmination of this collaborative effort led to the identification of three key themes: (1) Trust, Media and Democracy, (2) the Financial Sustainability of News and (3) Attitudes About the Internet and Technology Policy. Within each theme, we provide insights into the broader research landscape, highlight key discoveries and identify any research limitations.
This series of research represents a comprehensive investigation into contemporary American news consumption patterns and the intricate web of attitudes surrounding this fundamental pillar of democracy. Our primary goal is to disseminate the most compelling findings, offer critical reflections and share survey data resulting from this partnership. Through these efforts, we aim to raise public awareness, foster understanding and catalyze actions that address critical issues on news consumption and trust in the American context.
Analyzes American attitudes toward trust, media and democracy since 2017. While a majority of Americans acknowledge the news media's crucial role in democracy, they believe it falls short due to perceived inaccuracy and bias.
Investigates Americans' willingness to pay for news and their attitudes toward the financial state and funding models of news organizations. The analyses underscore a persistent market failure––many individuals recognize the benefit of the news to the public but are unwilling to pay for it.
Investigates American attitudes toward regulation issues at the intersection of media and technology. The analysis identifies six distinct segments, not defined by political partisanship, of American views on internet regulation, which have important implications for policymakers, industry leavers, journalists and scholars.
This endeavor has generated substantial interest and active involvement from both policy-making circles and the academic community. The work has seen high engagement from policy and academic audiences.
Our work has been cited in congressional hearings, reports and bill filings.
Academic audiences have been especially engaged in Gallup/Knight publications and events. The partnership’s research from 2017 to 2022 has been cited in more than 500 academic publications, including leading journals within the field. Gallup/Knight research was referenced in multiple white papers geared toward institutional research audiences, including publications from the Brookings Institution, the Aspen Institute and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
The work also has been cited in books used in college classrooms across the country, including the most recent edition of The Elements of Journalism by Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel and News for the Rich, White, and Blue by Nikki Usher. In the latter half of the partnership, private briefings for academics were held to discuss the findings.