What group does America trust to keep the government in line? It's the media.
According to a recent survey supported by the First Amendment Center, 54 percent of survey respondents said they believe it is important for the news media to act as a watchdog on the government. A majority of respondents also support shield laws, with 75 percent saying journalists should be able to keep their sources confidential.
Though Americans support a watchdog system, they still are concerned about a subjective news media.
Despite the protective trust, 47 percent strongly disagree that news media tries to report the news without bias.
"The First Amendment gives journalists extraordinary freedom to pursue and publish the news, but also creates the expectation that these liberties will be used in the public interest, keeping an eye on people in power," Ken Paulson, president of the First Amendment Center, told The American Society of News Editors.
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