A local news monopoly dictated by corporate executives in major cities would be seen as less trustworthy by most people surveyed in a new poll.
A news release from McLaughlin & Associates, which conducted the poll, noted the Federal Communications Commission is considering allowing one media company to control local news in 72 percent of the country, meaning NBC, ABC, or CBS may be the only source for most viewers.
The poll found 69 percent opposed a local news monopoly, while only 19 percent thought it was a good idea. A majority 54 percent strongly opposed the monopoly, with both Republicans (67 percent) and Democrats (62 percent) being similarly opposed. A full 80 percent of registered independents opposed the idea of local news only coming from one source.
A more thorough breakdown showed more than 60 percent of those with and without college degrees, both women and men, opposed a local news monopoly and felt local news that comes from executives in cities such as New York, Los Angeles, and Washington D.C., would be less trustworthy than news from multiple sources that are locally based and sourced.
The poll was taken of 1,000 likely voters across the United States between May 16 and 21, 2018.
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