Teachers, nurses, and military officers are among the most trusted
A new poll has found Americans have an unfavorable opinion of the ethics and honesty of people who mainly work in the media and politics.
Gallup’s Wednesday survey noted that five of the 22 professions examined find themselves at “new lows in public esteem,” showing significant dips in favorability from past annual polls.
Television reporters, for instance, have seen their “ethics rating” – meaning how many view them as “highly” ethical and honest – drop from 23% to 14%, according to Gallup data. Judges have also seen a hit in the public’s perception of their ethics, dropping five points to 38%.
“Americans are most skeptical of the ethics of elected officials, particularly at the federal level, as well as the media,” the report notes.
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Reporters, House and Senate members, and members of the media score the lowest in the polling. Among these groups, newspaper reporters received the highest marks, with 39% viewing them as honest and ethical.
That may be low, but it is much higher than the view of members of Congress (9%), and lobbyists (5%). Also scoring below 10 points, along with members of Congress and the media, are car salespeople, with only 8% viewing the profession as trustworthy.