"Just the facts, ma'am."

That was the line made famous by Detective Joe Friday in the TV series Dragnet. And perhaps this is becoming the cry of the American public. There was a fascinating study released earlier this month from the Pew Research Center regarding the public's opinion of accuracy in the media--a story that ironically was not covered by most of the media.

The basic finding of the study is that most Americans, 63% to be precise, believe the media gets the facts wrong in their stories while only 29% believe they are accurate. That is in stark contrast to 1985 when 55% of American believed most media stories were accurate and only 34% believed they were inaccurate. The other statistic that jumped out at me is that 60% of Americans believe that news organizations clearly have a political bias--though the numbers are split on which way that bias leans.

Now I realize this is an opinion poll and opinion does not always equate with objective reality. But perception is powerful, and perhaps most media outlets would be wise to wake up and realize that a majority American don't trust or believe what they're saying, and maybe that is why viewership is declining for most network news programs and explains why newspapers are watching their subscriptions dry up. If and when news agencies or media outlets are forced to close up shop, they'll have no one to blame but themselves and their failure to deliver a quality or valued product: the facts.

At the same time I realize that it is virtually impossible for there not to be bias in the news. No one is ever truly objective. But it would be nice if news organizations at least made an effort to present just the facts and let the public make up its mind for itself. Unfortunately, there appears to be a blurring between the news and editorials, and in the end this seems to undermine any credibility journalists have. Then again, I'm not sure that "reporters" like Bill O'Reilly or Rachel Maddow are or ever were real journalists. Regardless, I'm growing increasingly tired of the hyperbole and blatant disregard for the facts that so many in the news seem to be guilty of--liberals and conservatives alike. Please get over yourselves and do your job!

And should you question my own biases in reporting on this story, feel free to check out the study yourself on the Pew Research Center's web site: http://people-press.org/report/543/.