Majority of Canadians think journalists are ‘purposely trying to mislead people’: poll

Topping the list of least-trusted groups are journalists, with a majority of Canadians saying that they do not trust the media.

Global communications firm Edelman recently released their 2022 Trust Barometer, a report that covers public responses to societal institutions and issues.

Trust in the media remains low. Traditional media was the only source of news and information that came out above fifty percent, with search engines, owned media, and social media ranging from forty-nine to twenty-one percent, respectively.

A full seventy-one percent of Canadians say they worry about "fake news being used as a weapon," with a majority concerned they are being mislead by societal leaders.

The report asked respondents whether they feel as though certain groups "are purposely trying to mislead people by saying things they know are false or gross exaggerations."

Results showed that sixty-one percent of Canadians agreed with that statement when it came to journalists, up twelve percent from last year. Business and government leaders did not fare much better, with sixty and fifty-eight percent, respectively, saying they felt like they were purposely misleading the population.

When asked whether fellow Canadians "lack the ability to have constructive and civil debates about issues they disagree on," over half of respondents said they agree.

According to the report, when it comes to institutions, Canadians are most trusting of their employer, followed by NGOs, business, government, and then media. While the first two have remained stable compared to the 2021 Barometer, the latter three have lost two, six, and two points, respectively.

On an individual level, scientists were found to be the most trusted, with journalists, government leaders, and CEOs filling the lowest three positions.