Nearly Half of Voters Believe Media Makes up Stories About President

Almost half of all voters believe that the news media makes up stories about President Trump and his administration.  

A new POLITICO/Morning Consult Poll says 46 percent of voters believe the media is fabricating stories while 37 percent do not believe that and 17 percent are undecided.

Unsurprisingly, party loyalty corresponds with voters' views. Seventy-six percent of Republican voters think the media invents stories while just one in five Democrats believe it.

However, the majority of voters – 51 percent – say the government should not be able to revoke the broadcast licenses of major news organizations that it believes are making up stories. Twenty-eight percent do think the government should be able to do that and 21 percent are undecided.

The president has spent considerable time attacking the news media for reporting made-up, "fake" news but last week he went a step farther and suggested that the government could strip broadcast licenses from media companies because "network news has become so partisan, distorted and fake that licenses must be challenged and, if appropriate, revoked."

Network news has become so partisan, distorted and fake that licenses must be challenged and, if appropriate, revoked. Not fair to public!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 12, 2017

The First Amendment protects freedom of speech and freedom of the press.