PRINCETON, N.J., June 17 (UPI) -- Fewer than a fourth of Americans have confidence in newspapers, the lowest level in five years, a Gallup poll has indicated.
The poll found only 23 percent of those surveyed had a "great deal" or "quite a lot" of confidence about what they read in newspapers, Gallup reported Monday.
That's a drop from 25 percent in 2012 and 28 percent in 2011.
The poll, which began in 1974, recorded its lowest level of confidence, 22 percent, in 2008.
The highest level of confidence, 51 percent, was reached in 1979.
Out of 16 "societal institutions," only big business, organized labor, health maintenance organizations and Congress rated lower in the poll, which was conducted June 1-4.
Conservatives, at 15 percent, had the least confidence in newspapers. Trust by moderates continued its slide, to 25 percent. About 31 percent of liberals had confidence in newspapers.
Democrats were the most confident (33 percent) while only 19 percent of independents and 16 percent of conservatives expressed confidence.
The poll noted the rise of the Internet and social media sites and the increasingly partisan nature of cable news as factors in the declining confidence.
The survey was conducted with 1,529 adults and had a margin of error of 3 percent.
