1 Abstract

This contribution explores the how and why of trust in PBS. After this introduction, we sketch the constitutive characteristics of PBS. Next, we theoretically explore the notion of trust in general and with regards to media in particular, resulting in a set of more specific research questions. Subsequently, we discuss the methodological set up. We explored US audiences’ trust in PBS by means of a survey questionnaire. Next, we discuss the results, focusing on institutional aspects, on characteristics of the offerings and performance of PBS and on the role of long-standing relationships between PBS and its audiences. Finally, we discuss the implications of our understanding of what constitutes trust in PBS for the institution and for government policy towards PBS in an age of distrust in media and society.

2 Loading and summarizing the data

We load the following libraries:

library(tidyverse)
library(DT)
library(summarytools)

The cleaned survey data exist in the following CSV file:

pbs <- read_csv("data_clean.csv")

The following table provides sumamry statistics for all variables in the data:

print(dfSummary(pbs, 
                varnumbers   = FALSE, 
                valid.col    = FALSE, 
                graph.magnif = 0.76),
      method = 'render')

Data Frame Summary

pbs

Dimensions: 1533 x 255
Duplicates: 0
Variable Stats / Values Freqs (% of Valid) Graph Missing
start_date [numeric]
Mean (sd) : 44208.1 (4.7)
min ≤ med ≤ max:
44181.4 ≤ 44208.4 ≤ 44221.3
IQR (CV) : 1.1 (0)
 1518 distinct values 0 (0.0%)
end_date [numeric]
Mean (sd) : 44208.1 (4.7)
min ≤ med ≤ max:
44181.4 ≤ 44208.4 ≤ 44221.3
IQR (CV) : 1.1 (0)
 1514 distinct values 0 (0.0%)
status [character] 1. IP Address
1533(100.0%)
 0 (0.0%)
ip_address [character]
1. 98.116.230.197
2. 100.8.91.86
3. 108.237.146.98
4. 12.160.225.2
5. 199.27.251.45
6. 50.228.255.38
7. 50.234.80.90
8. 63.41.134.35
9. 63.75.241.216
10. 63.75.241.23
[ 1508 others ]
3(0.2%)
2(0.1%)
2(0.1%)
2(0.1%)
2(0.1%)
2(0.1%)
2(0.1%)
2(0.1%)
2(0.1%)
2(0.1%)
1512(98.6%)
 0 (0.0%)
progress [numeric] 1 distinct value
100:1533(100.0%)
 0 (0.0%)
duration [numeric]
Mean (sd) : 1127 (1259.4)
min ≤ med ≤ max:
228 ≤ 890 ≤ 28296
IQR (CV) : 576 (1.1)
 963 distinct values 0 (0.0%)
finished [logical] 1. TRUE
1533(100.0%)
 0 (0.0%)
recorded_date [numeric]
Mean (sd) : 44208.1 (4.7)
min ≤ med ≤ max:
44181.4 ≤ 44208.4 ≤ 44221.3
IQR (CV) : 1.1 (0)
 1533 distinct values 0 (0.0%)
response_id [character]
1. R_00Y2XQWynM392A9
2. R_02FOvX5Tr25iHkJ
3. R_03B58WgkXaNz3sB
4. R_0eNRCKBHJECUXWp
5. R_0eu5RS0KQtxkD4d
6. R_0H8k4J79ogP0vSN
7. R_0Hejbw3mLW2nSYF
8. R_0HesS6nSAfoK7xD
9. R_0HOGixh46QZEWRz
10. R_0IixnpgaI9luiJ3
[ 1523 others ]
1(0.1%)
1(0.1%)
1(0.1%)
1(0.1%)
1(0.1%)
1(0.1%)
1(0.1%)
1(0.1%)
1(0.1%)
1(0.1%)
1523(99.3%)
 0 (0.0%)
lastname [logical]
All NA's
 1533 (100.0%)
firstname [logical]
All NA's
 1533 (100.0%)
email [logical]
All NA's
 1533 (100.0%)
external_reference [logical]
All NA's
 1533 (100.0%)
lat [numeric]
Mean (sd) : 37.8 (5)
min ≤ med ≤ max:
19.7 ≤ 39 ≤ 48.4
IQR (CV) : 7.3 (0.1)
 1173 distinct values 0 (0.0%)
lon [numeric]
Mean (sd) : -89.3 (15.3)
min ≤ med ≤ max:
-158 ≤ -84.3 ≤ -67.3
IQR (CV) : 20.4 (-0.2)
 1184 distinct values 0 (0.0%)
distribution_channel [character] 1. anonymous
1533(100.0%)
 0 (0.0%)
user_language [character] 1. EN
1533(100.0%)
 0 (0.0%)
consent [character] 1. Agree
1533(100.0%)
 0 (0.0%)
pbs_viewer [character] 1. Yes
1533(100.0%)
 0 (0.0%)
gender [character]
1. Female
2. Male
3. Other
780(50.9%)
733(47.8%)
20(1.3%)
 0 (0.0%)
age [character]
1. 18 to 24
2. 25 to 34
3. 35 to 44
4. 45 to 54
5. 55 to 64
6. 65 to 74
7. 75 or older
187(12.2%)
273(17.8%)
379(24.7%)
123(8.0%)
154(10.0%)
313(20.4%)
104(6.8%)
 0 (0.0%)
race [character]
1. American Indian/Alaskan N
2. Asian
3. Black/African American
4. Hispanic or Latino
5. Mixed
6. Other
7. White/Caucasian
16(1.0%)
38(2.5%)
180(11.7%)
43(2.8%)
65(4.2%)
16(1.0%)
1175(76.6%)
 0 (0.0%)
race_other_text [character]
1. Asian
2. Mixed
3. Other
1(9.1%)
8(72.7%)
2(18.2%)
 1522 (99.3%)
political_affiliation [character]
1. Democrat
2. Independent
3. Other
4. Republican
777(50.7%)
333(21.7%)
62(4.0%)
361(23.5%)
 0 (0.0%)
politics [character]
1. Extremely conservative
2. Extremely liberal
3. Moderately conservative
4. Moderately liberal
5. Neither liberal nor conse
6. Slightly conservative
7. Slightly liberal
296(19.3%)
183(11.9%)
225(14.7%)
217(14.2%)
325(21.2%)
156(10.2%)
131(8.5%)
 0 (0.0%)
income [character]
1. >= $175,000
2. $0-$24,999
3. $100,000-$124,999
4. $125,000-$174,999
5. $25,000-$49,999
6. $50,000-$74,999
7. $75,000-$99,999
165(10.8%)
295(19.2%)
124(8.1%)
174(11.4%)
324(21.1%)
247(16.1%)
204(13.3%)
 0 (0.0%)
education [character]
1. Associate degree
2. Bachelor degree
3. Graduate degree
4. High school degree or equ
5. No high school degree
6. Some college but no degre
136(8.9%)
358(23.4%)
418(27.3%)
287(18.7%)
58(3.8%)
276(18.0%)
 0 (0.0%)
subscription_fox [character]
1. Major source
2. Minor source
3. Not a source
634(41.4%)
418(27.3%)
481(31.4%)
 0 (0.0%)
subscription_cnn [character]
1. Major source
2. Minor source
3. Not a source
678(44.2%)
531(34.6%)
324(21.1%)
 0 (0.0%)
subscription_abc [character]
1. Major source
2. Minor source
3. Not a source
640(41.7%)
683(44.6%)
210(13.7%)
 0 (0.0%)
subscription_ncb [character]
1. Major source
2. Minor source
3. Not a source
498(32.5%)
653(42.6%)
381(24.9%)
 1 (0.1%)
subscription_cbs [character]
1. Major source
2. Minor source
3. Not a source
631(41.2%)
695(45.3%)
207(13.5%)
 0 (0.0%)
subscription_msnbc [character]
1. Major source
2. Minor source
3. Not a source
485(31.6%)
575(37.5%)
473(30.9%)
 0 (0.0%)
subscription_usatoday [character]
1. Major source
2. Minor source
3. Not a source
482(31.4%)
515(33.6%)
536(35.0%)
 0 (0.0%)
subscription_pbs [character]
1. Major source
2. Minor source
764(49.8%)
769(50.2%)
 0 (0.0%)
subscription_nyt [character]
1. Major source
2. Minor source
3. Not a source
599(39.1%)
438(28.6%)
496(32.4%)
 0 (0.0%)
subscription_time [character]
1. Major source
2. Minor source
3. Not a source
390(25.4%)
529(34.5%)
614(40.1%)
 0 (0.0%)
subscription_wapo [character]
1. Major source
2. Minor source
3. Not a source
463(30.2%)
488(31.8%)
582(38.0%)
 0 (0.0%)
subscription_huffpo [character]
1. Major source
2. Minor source
3. Not a source
312(20.4%)
554(36.2%)
666(43.5%)
 1 (0.1%)
subscription_bzzfd [character]
1. Major source
2. Minor source
3. Not a source
310(20.2%)
511(33.3%)
712(46.4%)
 0 (0.0%)
subscription_limbaugh [character]
1. Major source
2. Minor source
3. Not a source
265(17.3%)
404(26.4%)
863(56.3%)
 1 (0.1%)
subscription_npr [character]
1. Major source
2. Minor source
3. Not a source
391(25.5%)
537(35.1%)
603(39.4%)
 2 (0.1%)
subscrption_guardian [character]
1. Major source
2. Minor source
3. Not a source
350(22.8%)
410(26.8%)
772(50.4%)
 1 (0.1%)
subscription_hannity [character]
1. Major source
2. Minor source
3. Not a source
318(20.7%)
359(23.4%)
856(55.8%)
 0 (0.0%)
subscription_politico [character]
1. Major source
2. Minor source
3. Not a source
297(19.4%)
493(32.2%)
743(48.5%)
 0 (0.0%)
subscription_univision [character]
1. Major source
2. Minor source
3. Not a source
299(19.5%)
302(19.7%)
932(60.8%)
 0 (0.0%)
subscription_businessinsider [character]
1. Major source
2. Minor source
3. Not a source
295(19.2%)
412(26.9%)
826(53.9%)
 0 (0.0%)
subscription_breitbart [character]
1. Major source
2. Minor source
3. Not a source
241(15.7%)
351(22.9%)
941(61.4%)
 0 (0.0%)
subscription_vice [character]
1. Major source
2. Minor source
3. Not a source
259(16.9%)
410(26.7%)
864(56.4%)
 0 (0.0%)
subscription_washingtonexaminer [character]
1. Major source
2. Minor source
3. Not a source
293(19.1%)
342(22.3%)
898(58.6%)
 0 (0.0%)
subscription_hill [character]
1. Major source
2. Minor source
3. Not a source
262(17.1%)
407(26.5%)
864(56.4%)
 0 (0.0%)
subscription_economist [character]
1. Major source
2. Minor source
3. Not a source
346(22.6%)
353(23.0%)
833(54.4%)
 1 (0.1%)
subscription_vox [character]
1. Major source
2. Minor source
3. Not a source
254(16.6%)
393(25.6%)
886(57.8%)
 0 (0.0%)
subscription_dailycaller [character]
1. Major source
2. Minor source
3. Not a source
267(17.4%)
301(19.6%)
965(62.9%)
 0 (0.0%)
subscription_facebook [character]
1. Major source
2. Minor source
3. Not a source
503(32.8%)
508(33.1%)
522(34.1%)
 0 (0.0%)
subscription_twitter [character]
1. Major source
2. Minor source
3. Not a source
461(30.1%)
352(23.0%)
719(46.9%)
 1 (0.1%)
subscription_youtube [character]
1. Major source
2. Minor source
3. Not a source
544(35.5%)
432(28.2%)
556(36.3%)
 1 (0.1%)
subscription_snapchat [character]
1. Major source
2. Minor source
3. Not a source
339(22.1%)
336(21.9%)
858(56.0%)
 0 (0.0%)
subscription_reddit [character]
1. Major source
2. Minor source
3. Not a source
267(17.4%)
411(26.8%)
855(55.8%)
 0 (0.0%)
subscription_tiktok [character]
1. Major source
2. Minor source
3. Not a source
328(21.4%)
293(19.1%)
912(59.5%)
 0 (0.0%)
subscription_linkedin [character]
1. Major source
2. Minor source
3. Not a source
288(18.8%)
398(26.0%)
847(55.3%)
 0 (0.0%)
subscription_instagram [character]
1. Major source
2. Minor source
3. Not a source
444(29.0%)
361(23.5%)
728(47.5%)
 0 (0.0%)
subscription_googlenews [character]
1. Major source
2. Minor source
3. Not a source
543(35.4%)
519(33.9%)
470(30.7%)
 1 (0.1%)
subscription_yahoonews [character]
1. Major source
2. Minor source
3. Not a source
444(29.0%)
510(33.3%)
578(37.7%)
 1 (0.1%)
subscription_applenews [character]
1. Major source
2. Minor source
3. Not a source
401(26.2%)
397(25.9%)
734(47.9%)
 1 (0.1%)
subscription_other [character]
1. Major source
2. Minor source
3. Not a source
278(18.3%)
209(13.8%)
1033(68.0%)
 13 (0.8%)
subscription_other_text [character]
1. None
2. none
3. BBC
4. n/a
5. No
6. Google
7. Local news
8. Newsmax
9. Twitter
10. bbc
[ 191 others ]
38(12.2%)
21(6.7%)
6(1.9%)
5(1.6%)
5(1.6%)
4(1.3%)
4(1.3%)
4(1.3%)
4(1.3%)
3(1.0%)
218(69.9%)
 1221 (79.6%)
platformusage_news [character]
1. Online
2. Apps,Online
3. Apps
4. Apps,Online,Broadcast tel
5. Broadcast television
6. Cable television
7. Apps,Online,Social Media
8. Broadcast television,Cabl
9. Apps,Online,Cable televis
10. Online,Broadcast televisi
[ 391 others ]
54(3.5%)
38(2.5%)
32(2.1%)
29(1.9%)
29(1.9%)
27(1.8%)
25(1.6%)
24(1.6%)
23(1.5%)
21(1.4%)
1231(80.3%)
 0 (0.0%)
hoursperweek_news [character]
1. 1 hour or less
2. Between 1 and 7 hours
3. Between 7 and 14 hours
4. More than 14 hours
290(18.9%)
769(50.2%)
253(16.5%)
221(14.4%)
 0 (0.0%)
trustnews_fox [character]
1. A great deal
2. Fair amount
3. No opinion
4. Not at all
5. Not very much
508(33.2%)
334(21.8%)
64(4.2%)
391(25.5%)
235(15.3%)
 1 (0.1%)
trustnews_cnn [character]
1. A great deal
2. Fair amount
3. No opinion
4. Not at all
5. Not very much
544(35.5%)
504(32.9%)
79(5.2%)
191(12.5%)
213(13.9%)
 2 (0.1%)
trustnews_abc [character]
1. A great deal
2. Fair amount
3. No opinion
4. Not at all
5. Not very much
578(37.7%)
535(34.9%)
72(4.7%)
105(6.9%)
242(15.8%)
 1 (0.1%)
trustnews_ncb [character]
1. A great deal
2. Fair amount
3. No opinion
4. Not at all
5. Not very much
412(27.0%)
540(35.3%)
185(12.1%)
163(10.7%)
228(14.9%)
 5 (0.3%)
trustnews_cbs [character]
1. A great deal
2. Fair amount
3. No opinion
4. Not at all
5. Not very much
514(33.7%)
546(35.8%)
96(6.3%)
122(8.0%)
248(16.3%)
 7 (0.5%)
trustnews_msnbc [character]
1. A great deal
2. Fair amount
3. No opinion
4. Not at all
5. Not very much
424(27.7%)
437(28.6%)
177(11.6%)
217(14.2%)
274(17.9%)
 4 (0.3%)
trustnews_usatoday [character]
1. A great deal
2. Fair amount
3. No opinion
4. Not at all
5. Not very much
411(26.9%)
453(29.7%)
217(14.2%)
158(10.4%)
287(18.8%)
 7 (0.5%)
trustnews_pbs [character]
1. A great deal
2. Fair amount
3. No opinion
4. Not at all
5. Not very much
688(45.0%)
553(36.1%)
58(3.8%)
61(4.0%)
170(11.1%)
 3 (0.2%)
trustnews_nyt [character]
1. A great deal
2. Fair amount
3. No opinion
4. Not at all
5. Not very much
572(37.4%)
379(24.8%)
180(11.8%)
210(13.7%)
188(12.3%)
 4 (0.3%)
trustnews_time [character]
1. A great deal
2. Fair amount
3. No opinion
4. Not at all
5. Not very much
398(26.0%)
474(31.0%)
218(14.3%)
207(13.5%)
232(15.2%)
 4 (0.3%)
trustnews_washingtonpost [character]
1. A great deal
2. Fair amount
3. No opinion
4. Not at all
5. Not very much
450(29.6%)
401(26.4%)
211(13.9%)
217(14.3%)
242(15.9%)
 12 (0.8%)
trustnews_huffpost [character]
1. A great deal
2. Fair amount
3. No opinion
4. Not at all
5. Not very much
260(17.1%)
435(28.5%)
291(19.1%)
257(16.9%)
281(18.4%)
 9 (0.6%)
trustnews_buzzfeed [character]
1. A great deal
2. Fair amount
3. No opinion
4. Not at all
5. Not very much
263(17.2%)
330(21.6%)
343(22.5%)
304(19.9%)
285(18.7%)
 8 (0.5%)
trustnews_rushlimbaugh [character]
1. A great deal
2. Fair amount
3. No opinion
4. Not at all
5. Not very much
219(14.3%)
305(20.0%)
275(18.0%)
488(32.0%)
240(15.7%)
 6 (0.4%)
trustnews_npr [character]
1. A great deal
2. Fair amount
3. No opinion
4. Not at all
5. Not very much
436(28.6%)
349(22.9%)
264(17.3%)
215(14.1%)
258(17.0%)
 11 (0.7%)
trustnews_theguardian [character]
1. A great deal
2. Fair amount
3. No opinion
4. Not at all
5. Not very much
261(17.1%)
343(22.5%)
423(27.8%)
239(15.7%)
256(16.8%)
 11 (0.7%)
trustnews_seanhannity [character]
1. A great deal
2. Fair amount
3. No opinion
4. Not at all
5. Not very much
283(18.6%)
286(18.8%)
293(19.2%)
441(28.9%)
221(14.5%)
 9 (0.6%)
trustnews_politico [character]
1. A great deal
2. Fair amount
3. No opinion
4. Not at all
5. Not very much
271(17.8%)
381(25.0%)
396(26.0%)
254(16.7%)
221(14.5%)
 10 (0.7%)
trustnews_univision [character]
1. A great deal
2. Fair amount
3. No opinion
4. Not at all
5. Not very much
237(15.6%)
254(16.7%)
538(35.4%)
273(18.0%)
216(14.2%)
 15 (1.0%)
trustnews_businessinsider [character]
1. A great deal
2. Fair amount
3. No opinion
4. Not at all
5. Not very much
237(15.6%)
331(21.8%)
467(30.7%)
262(17.2%)
223(14.7%)
 13 (0.8%)
trustnews_breitbart [character]
1. A great deal
2. Fair amount
3. No opinion
4. Not at all
5. Not very much
215(14.1%)
254(16.7%)
401(26.3%)
433(28.4%)
219(14.4%)
 11 (0.7%)
trustnews_vice [character]
1. A great deal
2. Fair amount
3. No opinion
4. Not at all
5. Not very much
213(14.0%)
311(20.5%)
482(31.7%)
295(19.4%)
219(14.4%)
 13 (0.8%)
trustnews_washingtonexaminer [character]
1. A great deal
2. Fair amount
3. No opinion
4. Not at all
5. Not very much
265(17.4%)
262(17.2%)
476(31.3%)
296(19.4%)
223(14.7%)
 11 (0.7%)
trustnews_thehill [character]
1. A great deal
2. Fair amount
3. No opinion
4. Not at all
5. Not very much
205(13.5%)
319(21.0%)
493(32.4%)
255(16.8%)
248(16.3%)
 13 (0.8%)
trustnews_economist [character]
1. A great deal
2. Fair amount
3. No opinion
4. Not at all
5. Not very much
316(20.8%)
314(20.6%)
443(29.1%)
237(15.6%)
212(13.9%)
 11 (0.7%)
trustnews_vox [character]
1. A great deal
2. Fair amount
3. No opinion
4. Not at all
5. Not very much
216(14.2%)
314(20.7%)
511(33.7%)
269(17.7%)
208(13.7%)
 15 (1.0%)
trustnews_dailycaller [character]
1. A great deal
2. Fair amount
3. No opinion
4. Not at all
5. Not very much
224(14.7%)
241(15.9%)
533(35.1%)
307(20.2%)
215(14.1%)
 13 (0.8%)
trustnews_facebook [character]
1. A great deal
2. Fair amount
3. No opinion
4. Not at all
5. Not very much
353(23.1%)
321(21.0%)
137(9.0%)
410(26.8%)
309(20.2%)
 3 (0.2%)
trustnews_twitter [character]
1. A great deal
2. Fair amount
3. No opinion
4. Not at all
5. Not very much
382(25.0%)
263(17.2%)
224(14.7%)
423(27.7%)
237(15.5%)
 4 (0.3%)
trustnews_youtube [character]
1. A great deal
2. Fair amount
3. No opinion
4. Not at all
5. Not very much
396(25.9%)
356(23.3%)
225(14.7%)
288(18.9%)
262(17.2%)
 6 (0.4%)
trustnews_snapshat [character]
1. A great deal
2. Fair amount
3. No opinion
4. Not at all
5. Not very much
292(19.2%)
227(14.9%)
349(22.9%)
443(29.1%)
213(14.0%)
 9 (0.6%)
trustnews_reddit [character]
1. A great deal
2. Fair amount
3. No opinion
4. Not at all
5. Not very much
206(13.5%)
307(20.2%)
385(25.3%)
396(26.0%)
228(15.0%)
 11 (0.7%)
trustnews_tiktok [character]
1. A great deal
2. Fair amount
3. No opinion
4. Not at all
5. Not very much
262(17.2%)
233(15.3%)
354(23.2%)
479(31.4%)
198(13.0%)
 7 (0.5%)
trustnews_linkedin [character]
1. A great deal
2. Fair amount
3. No opinion
4. Not at all
5. Not very much
258(16.9%)
282(18.5%)
394(25.9%)
358(23.5%)
231(15.2%)
 10 (0.7%)
trustnews_instagram [character]
1. A great deal
2. Fair amount
3. No opinion
4. Not at all
5. Not very much
351(22.9%)
286(18.7%)
297(19.4%)
383(25.0%)
213(13.9%)
 3 (0.2%)
trustnews_googlenews [character]
1. A great deal
2. Fair amount
3. No opinion
4. Not at all
5. Not very much
422(27.6%)
451(29.5%)
242(15.8%)
183(12.0%)
229(15.0%)
 6 (0.4%)
trustnews_yahoonews [character]
1. A great deal
2. Fair amount
3. No opinion
4. Not at all
5. Not very much
358(23.5%)
431(28.3%)
287(18.8%)
206(13.5%)
242(15.9%)
 9 (0.6%)
trustnews_applenews [character]
1. A great deal
2. Fair amount
3. No opinion
4. Not at all
5. Not very much
354(23.2%)
335(22.0%)
391(25.7%)
254(16.7%)
189(12.4%)
 10 (0.7%)
trustnews_other [character]
1. A great deal
2. Fair amount
3. No opinion
4. Not at all
5. Not very much
193(12.8%)
184(12.2%)
788(52.4%)
191(12.7%)
149(9.9%)
 28 (1.8%)
trustnews_othertext [character]
1. Foreign news service
2. Friends and family
3. Fringe ideological media
4. Local news
5. Local newspaper
6. National media
7. Nothing/Other
8. Platforms
18(6.8%)
10(3.8%)
18(6.8%)
28(10.6%)
1(0.4%)
31(11.7%)
126(47.7%)
32(12.1%)
 1269 (82.8%)
problem_newsbias [character]
1. Major problem
2. Minor problem
3. Not a problem
938(63.4%)
399(27.0%)
143(9.7%)
 53 (3.5%)
problem_selectionbias [character]
1. Major problem
2. Minor problem
3. Not a problem
832(56.2%)
490(33.1%)
159(10.7%)
 52 (3.4%)
problem_publicbestinterest [character]
1. Major problem
2. Minor problem
3. Not a problem
801(55.0%)
439(30.1%)
217(14.9%)
 76 (5.0%)
problem_reportingthoroughness [character]
1. Major problem
2. Minor problem
3. Not a problem
670(46.2%)
550(37.9%)
231(15.9%)
 82 (5.3%)
problem_reportingaccuracy [character]
1. Major problem
2. Minor problem
3. Not a problem
819(55.5%)
436(29.6%)
220(14.9%)
 58 (3.8%)
problem_reportingtransparancy [character]
1. Major problem
2. Minor problem
3. Not a problem
748(51.0%)
515(35.1%)
205(14.0%)
 65 (4.2%)
problem_reportingdistinctiveness [character]
1. Major problem
2. Minor problem
3. Not a problem
494(34.9%)
598(42.2%)
325(22.9%)
 116 (7.6%)
problem_reportingdailyuseful [character]
1. Major problem
2. Minor problem
3. Not a problem
442(31.1%)
637(44.8%)
343(24.1%)
 111 (7.2%)
problem_newsorgsensational [character]
1. Major problem
2. Minor problem
3. Not a problem
769(52.6%)
459(31.4%)
234(16.0%)
 71 (4.6%)
problem_diversityofethnicityandrace [character]
1. Major problem
2. Minor problem
3. Not a problem
626(43.6%)
522(36.3%)
289(20.1%)
 96 (6.3%)
problem_diversityofvoices [character]
1. Major problem
2. Minor problem
3. Not a problem
669(46.2%)
508(35.1%)
270(18.7%)
 86 (5.6%)
personaltrust_npr [character]
1. Distrust a great deal
2. Neither trust nor distrus
3. No opinion
4. Somewhat distrust
5. Somewhat trust
6. Trust a great deal
63(4.1%)
259(16.9%)
234(15.3%)
76(5.0%)
364(23.8%)
536(35.0%)
 1 (0.1%)
personaltrust_nasa [character]
1. Distrust a great deal
2. Neither trust nor distrus
3. No opinion
4. Somewhat distrust
5. Somewhat trust
6. Trust a great deal
25(1.6%)
217(14.2%)
132(8.6%)
73(4.8%)
511(33.4%)
574(37.5%)
 1 (0.1%)
personaltrust_smithsonian [character]
1. Distrust a great deal
2. Neither trust nor distrus
3. No opinion
4. Somewhat distrust
5. Somewhat trust
6. Trust a great deal
24(1.6%)
251(16.4%)
125(8.2%)
77(5.0%)
444(29.0%)
611(39.9%)
 1 (0.1%)
personaltrust_pbs [character]
1. Distrust a great deal
2. Neither trust nor distrus
3. No opinion
4. Somewhat distrust
5. Somewhat trust
6. Trust a great deal
29(1.9%)
161(10.5%)
32(2.1%)
56(3.7%)
473(30.9%)
781(51.0%)
 1 (0.1%)
personaltrust_publicschools [character]
1. Distrust a great deal
2. Neither trust nor distrus
3. No opinion
4. Somewhat distrust
5. Somewhat trust
6. Trust a great deal
75(4.9%)
329(21.5%)
60(3.9%)
121(7.9%)
571(37.3%)
375(24.5%)
 2 (0.1%)
personaltrust_congress [character]
1. Distrust a great deal
2. Neither trust nor distrus
3. No opinion
4. Somewhat distrust
5. Somewhat trust
6. Trust a great deal
230(15.0%)
323(21.1%)
60(3.9%)
274(17.9%)
376(24.6%)
268(17.5%)
 2 (0.1%)
personaltrust_currentpresident [character]
1. Distrust a great deal
2. Neither trust nor distrus
3. No opinion
4. Somewhat distrust
5. Somewhat trust
6. Trust a great deal
563(36.8%)
196(12.8%)
55(3.6%)
115(7.5%)
263(17.2%)
339(22.1%)
 2 (0.1%)
personaltrust_stategovernment [character]
1. Distrust a great deal
2. Neither trust nor distrus
3. No opinion
4. Somewhat distrust
5. Somewhat trust
6. Trust a great deal
161(10.5%)
274(17.9%)
44(2.9%)
254(16.6%)
452(29.5%)
347(22.7%)
 1 (0.1%)
personalttrust_localgovernment [character]
1. Distrust a great deal
2. Neither trust nor distrus
3. No opinion
4. Somewhat distrust
5. Somewhat trust
6. Trust a great deal
125(8.2%)
307(20.0%)
46(3.0%)
176(11.5%)
504(32.9%)
374(24.4%)
 1 (0.1%)
personaltrust_postalservices [character]
1. Distrust a great deal
2. Neither trust nor distrus
3. No opinion
4. Somewhat distrust
5. Somewhat trust
6. Trust a great deal
64(4.2%)
281(18.3%)
51(3.3%)
117(7.6%)
564(36.8%)
455(29.7%)
 1 (0.1%)
personaltrust_courtsoflaw [character]
1. Distrust a great deal
2. Neither trust nor distrus
3. No opinion
4. Somewhat distrust
5. Somewhat trust
6. Trust a great deal
100(6.5%)
299(19.5%)
54(3.5%)
151(9.9%)
512(33.4%)
416(27.2%)
 1 (0.1%)
personaltrust_lawenforcementpolice [character]
1. Distrust a great deal
2. Neither trust nor distrus
3. No opinion
4. Somewhat distrust
5. Somewhat trust
6. Trust a great deal
122(8.0%)
261(17.0%)
49(3.2%)
147(9.6%)
539(35.2%)
414(27.0%)
 1 (0.1%)
personaltrust_military [character]
1. Distrust a great deal
2. Neither trust nor distrus
3. No opinion
4. Somewhat distrust
5. Somewhat trust
6. Trust a great deal
69(4.5%)
262(17.1%)
49(3.2%)
105(6.9%)
482(31.5%)
565(36.9%)
 1 (0.1%)
valuefordollar_npr [character]
1. Excellent
2. Fair
3. Good
4. No opinion
5. Poor
6. Very Poor
543(35.4%)
240(15.7%)
360(23.5%)
245(16.0%)
86(5.6%)
58(3.8%)
 1 (0.1%)
valuefordollar_nasa [character]
1. Excellent
2. Fair
3. Good
4. No opinion
5. Poor
6. Very Poor
497(32.5%)
272(17.8%)
505(33.0%)
133(8.7%)
82(5.4%)
42(2.7%)
 2 (0.1%)
valuefordollar_smithsonian [character]
1. Excellent
2. Fair
3. Good
4. No opinion
5. Poor
6. Very Poor
517(33.8%)
275(18.0%)
499(32.6%)
147(9.6%)
71(4.6%)
22(1.4%)
 2 (0.1%)
valuefordollar_pbs [character]
1. Excellent
2. Fair
3. Good
4. No opinion
5. Poor
6. Very Poor
726(47.4%)
212(13.8%)
449(29.3%)
61(4.0%)
57(3.7%)
26(1.7%)
 2 (0.1%)
valuefordollar_publicschools [character]
1. Excellent
2. Fair
3. Good
4. No opinion
5. Poor
6. Very Poor
403(26.3%)
334(21.8%)
477(31.2%)
80(5.2%)
149(9.7%)
88(5.7%)
 2 (0.1%)
valuefordollar_congress [character]
1. Excellent
2. Fair
3. Good
4. No opinion
5. Poor
6. Very Poor
261(17.0%)
366(23.9%)
317(20.7%)
97(6.3%)
256(16.7%)
234(15.3%)
 2 (0.1%)
valuefordollar_currentpresident [character]
1. Excellent
2. Fair
3. Good
4. No opinion
5. Poor
6. Very Poor
339(22.1%)
173(11.3%)
263(17.2%)
95(6.2%)
126(8.2%)
535(34.9%)
 2 (0.1%)
valuefordollar_stategovernment [character]
1. Excellent
2. Fair
3. Good
4. No opinion
5. Poor
6. Very Poor
330(21.6%)
332(21.7%)
427(27.9%)
79(5.2%)
201(13.1%)
162(10.6%)
 2 (0.1%)
valuefordollar_localgovernment [character]
1. Excellent
2. Fair
3. Good
4. No opinion
5. Poor
6. Very Poor
335(21.9%)
332(21.7%)
471(30.8%)
90(5.9%)
175(11.4%)
128(8.4%)
 2 (0.1%)
valuefordollar_postalservice [character]
1. Excellent
2. Fair
3. Good
4. No opinion
5. Poor
6. Very Poor
408(26.7%)
303(19.8%)
538(35.2%)
86(5.6%)
125(8.2%)
70(4.6%)
 3 (0.2%)
valuefordollar_courtoflaw [character]
1. Excellent
2. Fair
3. Good
4. No opinion
5. Poor
6. Very Poor
380(24.8%)
321(21.0%)
488(31.9%)
93(6.1%)
155(10.1%)
94(6.1%)
 2 (0.1%)
valuefordollar_lawenforcementpolice [character]
1. Excellent
2. Fair
3. Good
4. No opinion
5. Poor
6. Very Poor
400(26.1%)
280(18.3%)
502(32.8%)
83(5.4%)
143(9.3%)
123(8.0%)
 2 (0.1%)
valuefordollar_military [character]
1. Excellent
2. Fair
3. Good
4. No opinion
5. Poor
6. Very Poor
536(35.0%)
260(17.0%)
469(30.6%)
86(5.6%)
97(6.3%)
83(5.4%)
 2 (0.1%)
localpbsstation [character]
1. No
2. Unsure
3. Yes
229(14.9%)
301(19.6%)
1003(65.4%)
 0 (0.0%)
pbsmember [character]
1. No
2. Unsure
3. Yes
847(55.3%)
103(6.7%)
581(37.9%)
 2 (0.1%)
consumepbs_nationalnews [character]
1. A great deal
2. A little
3. A lot
4. A moderate amount
5. None at all
484(31.6%)
329(21.5%)
269(17.6%)
328(21.4%)
122(8.0%)
 1 (0.1%)
consumepbs_localnews [character]
1. A great deal
2. A little
3. A lot
4. A moderate amount
5. None at all
312(20.4%)
305(19.9%)
380(24.8%)
317(20.7%)
218(14.2%)
 1 (0.1%)
consumepbs_chidlrenprograms [character]
1. A great deal
2. A little
3. A lot
4. A moderate amount
5. None at all
406(26.5%)
165(10.8%)
269(17.6%)
231(15.1%)
461(30.1%)
 1 (0.1%)
consumepbs_kidsgames [character]
1. A great deal
2. A little
3. A lot
4. A moderate amount
5. None at all
299(20.1%)
144(9.7%)
258(17.3%)
196(13.2%)
593(39.8%)
 43 (2.8%)
consumepbs_adulteducation [character]
1. A great deal
2. A little
3. A lot
4. A moderate amount
5. None at all
461(30.1%)
238(15.5%)
342(22.3%)
369(24.1%)
121(7.9%)
 2 (0.1%)
consumepbs_artsandculture [character]
1. A great deal
2. A little
3. A lot
4. A moderate amount
5. None at all
379(24.8%)
247(16.1%)
397(25.9%)
356(23.3%)
152(9.9%)
 2 (0.1%)
consumepbs_entertainment [character]
1. A great deal
2. A little
3. A lot
4. A moderate amount
5. None at all
444(29.0%)
213(13.9%)
392(25.6%)
345(22.5%)
136(8.9%)
 3 (0.2%)
consumepbs_other [character]
1. A great deal
2. A little
3. A lot
4. A moderate amount
5. None at all
189(12.4%)
131(8.6%)
178(11.7%)
201(13.2%)
820(54.0%)
 14 (0.9%)
consumepbs_othertext [character]
1. British programming
2. Cooking and travel
3. Documentaries and nature
4. Drama
5. Local programming
6. Music
7. News
8. Nothing
9. Other
8(3.1%)
13(5.1%)
17(6.6%)
8(3.1%)
7(2.7%)
13(5.1%)
8(3.1%)
106(41.2%)
77(30.0%)
 1276 (83.2%)
howmuchpbs_generalcontent [character]
1. 0 or 1
2. 10 to 14
3. 15 to 24
4. 2 or 3
5. 25 to 39
6. 4 or 5
7. 40 or more
8. 6 or 7
9. 8 or 9
161(10.5%)
135(8.8%)
71(4.6%)
422(27.5%)
34(2.2%)
349(22.8%)
11(0.7%)
217(14.2%)
132(8.6%)
 1 (0.1%)
howmuchpbs_apps [character]
1. A great deal
2. A little
3. A lot
4. A moderate amount
5. None at all
401(26.2%)
144(9.4%)
192(12.5%)
181(11.8%)
614(40.1%)
 1 (0.1%)
howmuchpbs_online [character]
1. A great deal
2. A little
3. A lot
4. A moderate amount
5. None at all
365(23.8%)
242(15.8%)
293(19.1%)
220(14.4%)
412(26.9%)
 1 (0.1%)
howmuchpbs_broadcast [character]
1. A great deal
2. A little
3. A lot
4. A moderate amount
5. None at all
565(36.9%)
165(10.8%)
371(24.2%)
331(21.6%)
100(6.5%)
 1 (0.1%)
howmuchpbs_socialmedia [character]
1. A great deal
2. A little
3. A lot
4. A moderate amount
5. None at all
377(24.6%)
183(11.9%)
268(17.5%)
171(11.2%)
533(34.8%)
 1 (0.1%)
contributetrustpbs_organisation [character]
1. Distrust a lot
2. Neither trust nor distrus
3. No opinion
4. Somewhat distrust
5. Somewhat trust
6. Trust a lot
20(1.3%)
189(12.3%)
42(2.7%)
51(3.3%)
439(28.7%)
790(51.6%)
 2 (0.1%)
contributetrustpbs_funding [character]
1. Distrust a lot
2. Neither trust nor distrus
3. No opinion
4. Somewhat distrust
5. Somewhat trust
6. Trust a lot
18(1.2%)
217(14.2%)
39(2.5%)
43(2.8%)
573(37.4%)
642(41.9%)
 1 (0.1%)
contributetrustpbs_localstation [character]
1. Distrust a lot
2. Neither trust nor distrus
3. No opinion
4. Somewhat distrust
5. Somewhat trust
6. Trust a lot
23(1.5%)
252(16.4%)
58(3.8%)
63(4.1%)
483(31.5%)
653(42.6%)
 1 (0.1%)
contributetrustpbs_nationalnews [character]
1. Distrust a lot
2. Neither trust nor distrus
3. No opinion
4. Somewhat distrust
5. Somewhat trust
6. Trust a lot
26(1.7%)
252(16.5%)
67(4.4%)
99(6.5%)
486(31.7%)
601(39.3%)
 2 (0.1%)
contributetrustpbs_localnews [character]
1. Distrust a lot
2. Neither trust nor distrus
3. No opinion
4. Somewhat distrust
5. Somewhat trust
6. Trust a lot
49(3.2%)
259(16.9%)
120(7.8%)
75(4.9%)
544(35.5%)
484(31.6%)
 2 (0.1%)
contributetrustpbs_childrenprograms [character]
1. Distrust a lot
2. Neither trust nor distrus
3. No opinion
4. Somewhat distrust
5. Somewhat trust
6. Trust a lot
25(1.6%)
201(13.1%)
202(13.2%)
55(3.6%)
446(29.1%)
602(39.3%)
 2 (0.1%)
contributetrustpbs_kidsgames [character]
1. Distrust a lot
2. Neither trust nor distrus
3. No opinion
4. Somewhat distrust
5. Somewhat trust
6. Trust a lot
33(2.2%)
264(17.7%)
295(19.8%)
43(2.9%)
381(25.6%)
474(31.8%)
 43 (2.8%)
contributetrustpbs_adultprograms [character]
1. Distrust a lot
2. Neither trust nor distrus
3. No opinion
4. Somewhat distrust
5. Somewhat trust
6. Trust a lot
16(1.0%)
219(14.3%)
61(4.0%)
51(3.3%)
513(33.5%)
671(43.8%)
 2 (0.1%)
contributetrustpbs_artsandculture [character]
1. Distrust a lot
2. Neither trust nor distrus
3. No opinion
4. Somewhat distrust
5. Somewhat trust
6. Trust a lot
22(1.4%)
239(15.6%)
71(4.6%)
51(3.3%)
511(33.4%)
638(41.6%)
 1 (0.1%)
contributetrustpbs_entertainment [character]
1. Distrust a lot
2. Neither trust nor distrus
3. No opinion
4. Somewhat distrust
5. Somewhat trust
6. Trust a lot
28(1.8%)
239(15.6%)
70(4.6%)
62(4.0%)
493(32.2%)
640(41.8%)
 1 (0.1%)
contributetrustpbs_other [character]
1. Distrust a lot
2. Neither trust nor distrus
3. No opinion
4. Somewhat distrust
5. Somewhat trust
6. Trust a lot
47(3.1%)
224(14.7%)
758(49.9%)
51(3.4%)
224(14.7%)
215(14.2%)
 14 (0.9%)
contributetrustpbs_othertext [character]
1. British programming
2. Cooking and travel
3. Documentaries and nature
4. Drama
5. Local programming
6. Music
7. NEC
8. News
9. Nothing
10. Other
8(3.5%)
7(3.1%)
14(6.2%)
6(2.6%)
5(2.2%)
10(4.4%)
1(0.4%)
7(3.1%)
110(48.5%)
59(26.0%)
 1306 (85.2%)
comparepbstrust_fox [character]
1. No opinion
2. Trust a little less than
3. Trust a little more than
4. Trust a lot less than PBS
5. Trust a lot more than PBS
6. Trust the same as PBS
73(4.8%)
150(9.8%)
188(12.3%)
480(31.4%)
418(27.3%)
222(14.5%)
 2 (0.1%)
comparepbstrust_cnn [character]
1. No opinion
2. Trust a little less than
3. Trust a little more than
4. Trust a lot less than PBS
5. Trust a lot more than PBS
6. Trust the same as PBS
84(5.5%)
236(15.4%)
284(18.5%)
241(15.7%)
312(20.4%)
374(24.4%)
 2 (0.1%)
comparepbstrust_abc [character]
1. No opinion
2. Trust a little less than
3. Trust a little more than
4. Trust a lot less than PBS
5. Trust a lot more than PBS
6. Trust the same as PBS
84(5.5%)
256(16.7%)
251(16.4%)
122(8.0%)
345(22.5%)
473(30.9%)
 2 (0.1%)
comparepbstrust_nbc [character]
1. No opinion
2. Trust a little less than
3. Trust a little more than
4. Trust a lot less than PBS
5. Trust a lot more than PBS
6. Trust the same as PBS
174(11.4%)
253(16.5%)
281(18.4%)
141(9.2%)
262(17.1%)
420(27.4%)
 2 (0.1%)
comparepbstrust_cbs [character]
1. No opinion
2. Trust a little less than
3. Trust a little more than
4. Trust a lot less than PBS
5. Trust a lot more than PBS
6. Trust the same as PBS
91(5.9%)
236(15.4%)
254(16.6%)
156(10.2%)
321(21.0%)
473(30.9%)
 2 (0.1%)
comparepbstrust_msnbc [character]
1. No opinion
2. Trust a little less than
3. Trust a little more than
4. Trust a lot less than PBS
5. Trust a lot more than PBS
6. Trust the same as PBS
173(11.3%)
240(15.7%)
282(18.4%)
215(14.0%)
245(16.0%)
376(24.6%)
 2 (0.1%)
comparepbstrust_usatoday [character]
1. No opinion
2. Trust a little less than
3. Trust a little more than
4. Trust a lot less than PBS
5. Trust a lot more than PBS
6. Trust the same as PBS
198(12.9%)
273(17.8%)
233(15.2%)
177(11.6%)
316(20.6%)
335(21.9%)
 1 (0.1%)
comparepbstrust_nyt [character]
1. No opinion
2. Trust a little less than
3. Trust a little more than
4. Trust a lot less than PBS
5. Trust a lot more than PBS
6. Trust the same as PBS
179(11.7%)
207(13.5%)
259(16.9%)
188(12.3%)
321(21.0%)
377(24.6%)
 2 (0.1%)
comparepbstrust_time [character]
1. No opinion
2. Trust a little less than
3. Trust a little more than
4. Trust a lot less than PBS
5. Trust a lot more than PBS
6. Trust the same as PBS
236(15.4%)
226(14.8%)
233(15.2%)
157(10.3%)
300(19.6%)
379(24.8%)
 2 (0.1%)
comparepbstrust_washingtonpost [character]
1. No opinion
2. Trust a little less than
3. Trust a little more than
4. Trust a lot less than PBS
5. Trust a lot more than PBS
6. Trust the same as PBS
224(14.6%)
190(12.4%)
303(19.8%)
179(11.7%)
260(17.0%)
375(24.5%)
 2 (0.1%)
comparepbstrust_huffpost [character]
1. No opinion
2. Trust a little less than
3. Trust a little more than
4. Trust a lot less than PBS
5. Trust a lot more than PBS
6. Trust the same as PBS
290(18.9%)
237(15.5%)
236(15.4%)
205(13.4%)
230(15.0%)
333(21.8%)
 2 (0.1%)
comparepbstrust_buzzfeed [character]
1. No opinion
2. Trust a little less than
3. Trust a little more than
4. Trust a lot less than PBS
5. Trust a lot more than PBS
6. Trust the same as PBS
357(23.3%)
232(15.2%)
251(16.4%)
261(17.0%)
186(12.1%)
244(15.9%)
 2 (0.1%)
comparepbstrust_rushlimbaugh [character]
1. No opinion
2. Trust a little less than
3. Trust a little more than
4. Trust a lot less than PBS
5. Trust a lot more than PBS
6. Trust the same as PBS
239(15.6%)
140(9.1%)
204(13.3%)
483(31.5%)
252(16.5%)
213(13.9%)
 2 (0.1%)
comparpbstrust_npr [character]
1. No opinion
2. Trust a little less than
3. Trust a little more than
4. Trust a lot less than PBS
5. Trust a lot more than PBS
6. Trust the same as PBS
264(17.2%)
172(11.2%)
255(16.6%)
132(8.6%)
235(15.3%)
474(30.9%)
 1 (0.1%)
comparepbstrust_theguardian [character]
1. No opinion
2. Trust a little less than
3. Trust a little more than
4. Trust a lot less than PBS
5. Trust a lot more than PBS
6. Trust the same as PBS
434(28.3%)
192(12.5%)
217(14.2%)
201(13.1%)
224(14.6%)
264(17.2%)
 1 (0.1%)
comparepbstrust_seanhannity [character]
1. No opinion
2. Trust a little less than
3. Trust a little more than
4. Trust a lot less than PBS
5. Trust a lot more than PBS
6. Trust the same as PBS
300(19.6%)
145(9.5%)
224(14.6%)
413(27.0%)
223(14.6%)
227(14.8%)
 1 (0.1%)
comparepbstrust_politico [character]
1. No opinion
2. Trust a little less than
3. Trust a little more than
4. Trust a lot less than PBS
5. Trust a lot more than PBS
6. Trust the same as PBS
439(28.7%)
187(12.2%)
203(13.3%)
191(12.5%)
246(16.1%)
266(17.4%)
 1 (0.1%)
comparepbstrust_univsion [character]
1. No opinion
2. Trust a little less than
3. Trust a little more than
4. Trust a lot less than PBS
5. Trust a lot more than PBS
6. Trust the same as PBS
571(37.3%)
154(10.1%)
228(14.9%)
183(11.9%)
197(12.9%)
199(13.0%)
 1 (0.1%)
comparepbstrust_businessinsider [character]
1. No opinion
2. Trust a little less than
3. Trust a little more than
4. Trust a lot less than PBS
5. Trust a lot more than PBS
6. Trust the same as PBS
490(32.0%)
173(11.3%)
219(14.3%)
157(10.2%)
219(14.3%)
274(17.9%)
 1 (0.1%)
comparepbstrust_breitbart [character]
1. No opinion
2. Trust a little less than
3. Trust a little more than
4. Trust a lot less than PBS
5. Trust a lot more than PBS
6. Trust the same as PBS
416(27.2%)
148(9.7%)
228(14.9%)
346(22.6%)
184(12.0%)
210(13.7%)
 1 (0.1%)
comparepbstrust_vice [character]
1. No opinion
2. Trust a little less than
3. Trust a little more than
4. Trust a lot less than PBS
5. Trust a lot more than PBS
6. Trust the same as PBS
501(32.7%)
170(11.1%)
194(12.7%)
221(14.4%)
230(15.0%)
216(14.1%)
 1 (0.1%)
comparepbstrust_washingtonexaminer [character]
1. No opinion
2. Trust a little less than
3. Trust a little more than
4. Trust a lot less than PBS
5. Trust a lot more than PBS
6. Trust the same as PBS
488(31.9%)
158(10.3%)
237(15.5%)
223(14.6%)
213(13.9%)
211(13.8%)
 3 (0.2%)
comparepbstrust_thehill [character]
1. No opinion
2. Trust a little less than
3. Trust a little more than
4. Trust a lot less than PBS
5. Trust a lot more than PBS
6. Trust the same as PBS
496(32.4%)
199(13.0%)
203(13.3%)
189(12.3%)
201(13.1%)
243(15.9%)
 2 (0.1%)
comparepbstrust_economist [character]
1. No opinion
2. Trust a little less than
3. Trust a little more than
4. Trust a lot less than PBS
5. Trust a lot more than PBS
6. Trust the same as PBS
474(30.9%)
164(10.7%)
256(16.7%)
159(10.4%)
193(12.6%)
286(18.7%)
 1 (0.1%)
comparepbstrust_vox [character]
1. No opinion
2. Trust a little less than
3. Trust a little more than
4. Trust a lot less than PBS
5. Trust a lot more than PBS
6. Trust the same as PBS
548(35.8%)
165(10.8%)
188(12.3%)
198(12.9%)
223(14.6%)
209(13.7%)
 2 (0.1%)
comparepbstrust_dailycaller [character]
1. No opinion
2. Trust a little less than
3. Trust a little more than
4. Trust a lot less than PBS
5. Trust a lot more than PBS
6. Trust the same as PBS
579(37.8%)
149(9.7%)
218(14.2%)
205(13.4%)
187(12.2%)
194(12.7%)
 1 (0.1%)
comparepbstrust_facebook [character]
1. No opinion
2. Trust a little less than
3. Trust a little more than
4. Trust a lot less than PBS
5. Trust a lot more than PBS
6. Trust the same as PBS
146(9.5%)
189(12.3%)
192(12.5%)
474(30.9%)
311(20.3%)
220(14.4%)
 1 (0.1%)
comparepbstrust_twitter [character]
1. No opinion
2. Trust a little less than
3. Trust a little more than
4. Trust a lot less than PBS
5. Trust a lot more than PBS
6. Trust the same as PBS
226(14.8%)
197(12.9%)
202(13.2%)
439(28.7%)
292(19.1%)
176(11.5%)
 1 (0.1%)
comparepbstrust_youtube [character]
1. No opinion
2. Trust a little less than
3. Trust a little more than
4. Trust a lot less than PBS
5. Trust a lot more than PBS
6. Trust the same as PBS
216(14.1%)
223(14.6%)
202(13.2%)
309(20.2%)
343(22.4%)
239(15.6%)
 1 (0.1%)
comparepbstrust_snapchat [character]
1. No opinion
2. Trust a little less than
3. Trust a little more than
4. Trust a lot less than PBS
5. Trust a lot more than PBS
6. Trust the same as PBS
365(23.8%)
151(9.9%)
206(13.4%)
385(25.1%)
230(15.0%)
195(12.7%)
 1 (0.1%)
comparepbstrust_reddit [character]
1. No opinion
2. Trust a little less than
3. Trust a little more than
4. Trust a lot less than PBS
5. Trust a lot more than PBS
6. Trust the same as PBS
406(26.5%)
163(10.6%)
192(12.5%)
346(22.6%)
230(15.0%)
194(12.7%)
 2 (0.1%)
comparepbstrust_tiktok [character]
1. No opinion
2. Trust a little less than
3. Trust a little more than
4. Trust a lot less than PBS
5. Trust a lot more than PBS
6. Trust the same as PBS
389(25.4%)
138(9.0%)
192(12.5%)
427(27.9%)
204(13.3%)
181(11.8%)
 2 (0.1%)
comparepbstrust_linkedin [character]
1. No opinion
2. Trust a little less than
3. Trust a little more than
4. Trust a lot less than PBS
5. Trust a lot more than PBS
6. Trust the same as PBS
409(26.7%)
166(10.8%)
193(12.6%)
287(18.7%)
266(17.4%)
211(13.8%)
 1 (0.1%)
comparepbstrust_instagram [character]
1. No opinion
2. Trust a little less than
3. Trust a little more than
4. Trust a lot less than PBS
5. Trust a lot more than PBS
6. Trust the same as PBS
317(20.7%)
181(11.8%)
228(14.9%)
344(22.5%)
286(18.7%)
176(11.5%)
 1 (0.1%)
comparepbstrust_googlenews [character]
1. No opinion
2. Trust a little less than
3. Trust a little more than
4. Trust a lot less than PBS
5. Trust a lot more than PBS
6. Trust the same as PBS
232(15.1%)
235(15.3%)
206(13.4%)
167(10.9%)
355(23.2%)
337(22.0%)
 1 (0.1%)
comparepbstrust_yahoonews [character]
1. No opinion
2. Trust a little less than
3. Trust a little more than
4. Trust a lot less than PBS
5. Trust a lot more than PBS
6. Trust the same as PBS
285(18.6%)
223(14.6%)
246(16.1%)
190(12.4%)
266(17.4%)
322(21.0%)
 1 (0.1%)
comparepbstrust_applenews [character]
1. No opinion
2. Trust a little less than
3. Trust a little more than
4. Trust a lot less than PBS
5. Trust a lot more than PBS
6. Trust the same as PBS
411(26.8%)
178(11.6%)
200(13.1%)
188(12.3%)
302(19.7%)
253(16.5%)
 1 (0.1%)
comparepbstrust_other [character]
1. No opinion
2. Trust a little less than
3. Trust a little more than
4. Trust a lot less than PBS
5. Trust a lot more than PBS
6. Trust the same as PBS
885(58.3%)
89(5.9%)
156(10.3%)
98(6.5%)
143(9.4%)
147(9.7%)
 15 (1.0%)
comparepbstrust_othertext [character]
1. Foreign news service
2. Friends and family
3. Fringe ideological media
4. Local news
5. National media
6. Nothing/Other
7. Platforms
11(5.0%)
4(1.8%)
7(3.2%)
14(6.3%)
27(12.2%)
140(63.1%)
19(8.6%)
 1311 (85.5%)
pbsnews_actinpublicinterest [character]
1. Average
2. Far above average
3. Far below average
4. Moderately above average
5. Moderately below average
6. No opinion
7. Slightly above average
8. Slightly below average
217(14.2%)
622(40.6%)
16(1.0%)
393(25.7%)
22(1.4%)
39(2.5%)
183(11.9%)
40(2.6%)
 1 (0.1%)
pbsnews_programsinpublicinterest [character]
1. Average
2. Far above average
3. Far below average
4. Moderately above average
5. Moderately below average
6. No opinion
7. Slightly above average
8. Slightly below average
182(11.9%)
534(34.9%)
16(1.0%)
497(32.4%)
23(1.5%)
36(2.3%)
208(13.6%)
36(2.3%)
 1 (0.1%)
pbsnews_newsaccuracy [character]
1. Average
2. Far above average
3. Far below average
4. Moderately above average
5. Moderately below average
6. No opinion
7. Slightly above average
8. Slightly below average
209(13.6%)
527(34.4%)
16(1.0%)
393(25.7%)
24(1.6%)
47(3.1%)
267(17.4%)
49(3.2%)
 1 (0.1%)
pbsnews_politicalsocialissues [character]
1. Average
2. Far above average
3. Far below average
4. Moderately above average
5. Moderately below average
6. No opinion
7. Slightly above average
8. Slightly below average
244(15.9%)
498(32.5%)
19(1.2%)
440(28.7%)
22(1.4%)
52(3.4%)
211(13.8%)
45(2.9%)
 2 (0.1%)
pbsnews_twosidesofstory [character]
1. Average
2. Far above average
3. Far below average
4. Moderately above average
5. Moderately below average
6. No opinion
7. Slightly above average
8. Slightly below average
219(14.3%)
499(32.6%)
37(2.4%)
388(25.3%)
41(2.7%)
61(4.0%)
222(14.5%)
65(4.2%)
 1 (0.1%)
pbsnews_newsthoroughness [character]
1. Average
2. Far above average
3. Far below average
4. Moderately above average
5. Moderately below average
6. No opinion
7. Slightly above average
8. Slightly below average
251(16.4%)
433(28.3%)
25(1.6%)
440(28.7%)
53(3.5%)
49(3.2%)
222(14.5%)
59(3.9%)
 1 (0.1%)
pbsnews_newsdistinctiveness [character]
1. Average
2. Far above average
3. Far below average
4. Moderately above average
5. Moderately below average
6. No opinion
7. Slightly above average
8. Slightly below average
258(16.8%)
477(31.1%)
27(1.8%)
396(25.8%)
27(1.8%)
51(3.3%)
236(15.4%)
60(3.9%)
 1 (0.1%)
pbsnews_diversityofvoices [character]
1. Average
2. Far above average
3. Far below average
4. Moderately above average
5. Moderately below average
6. No opinion
7. Slightly above average
8. Slightly below average
235(15.3%)
426(27.8%)
22(1.4%)
449(29.3%)
31(2.0%)
59(3.9%)
255(16.6%)
55(3.6%)
 1 (0.1%)
pbsnews_leaderaccountability [character]
1. Average
2. Far above average
3. Far below average
4. Moderately above average
5. Moderately below average
6. No opinion
7. Slightly above average
8. Slightly below average
266(17.4%)
401(26.2%)
43(2.8%)
366(23.9%)
48(3.1%)
87(5.7%)
254(16.6%)
67(4.4%)
 1 (0.1%)
pbsnews_issuesofourtimes [character]
1. Average
2. Far above average
3. Far below average
4. Moderately above average
5. Moderately below average
6. No opinion
7. Slightly above average
8. Slightly below average
257(16.8%)
457(29.9%)
34(2.2%)
401(26.2%)
45(2.9%)
52(3.4%)
226(14.8%)
58(3.8%)
 3 (0.2%)
pbsnews_reportingtransparancy [character]
1. Average
2. Far above average
3. Far below average
4. Moderately above average
5. Moderately below average
6. No opinion
7. Slightly above average
8. Slightly below average
270(17.6%)
445(29.0%)
39(2.5%)
369(24.1%)
35(2.3%)
59(3.9%)
240(15.7%)
75(4.9%)
 1 (0.1%)
pbsnews_dailyuse [character]
1. Average
2. Far above average
3. Far below average
4. Moderately above average
5. Moderately below average
6. No opinion
7. Slightly above average
8. Slightly below average
297(19.4%)
393(25.7%)
30(2.0%)
413(27.0%)
27(1.8%)
61(4.0%)
240(15.7%)
70(4.6%)
 2 (0.1%)
pbsnews_reportingethnicdiversity [character]
1. Average
2. Far above average
3. Far below average
4. Moderately above average
5. Moderately below average
6. No opinion
7. Slightly above average
8. Slightly below average
258(16.9%)
505(33.0%)
20(1.3%)
377(24.6%)
24(1.6%)
72(4.7%)
222(14.5%)
52(3.4%)
 3 (0.2%)
pbsnews_healthtinformation [character]
1. Average
2. Far above average
3. Far below average
4. Moderately above average
5. Moderately below average
6. No opinion
7. Slightly above average
8. Slightly below average
258(16.9%)
403(26.3%)
22(1.4%)
468(30.6%)
21(1.4%)
60(3.9%)
252(16.5%)
47(3.1%)
 2 (0.1%)
pbsnews_promotinglocalism [character]
1. Average
2. Far above average
3. Far below average
4. Moderately above average
5. Moderately below average
6. No opinion
7. Slightly above average
8. Slightly below average
268(17.5%)
409(26.7%)
20(1.3%)
358(23.4%)
26(1.7%)
95(6.2%)
285(18.6%)
70(4.6%)
 2 (0.1%)
pbsnews_differentprogramformats [character]
1. Average
2. Far above average
3. Far below average
4. Moderately above average
5. Moderately below average
6. No opinion
7. Slightly above average
8. Slightly below average
284(18.5%)
396(25.9%)
21(1.4%)
401(26.2%)
24(1.6%)
93(6.1%)
260(17.0%)
52(3.4%)
 2 (0.1%)
pbsother_programinpublicinterest [character]
1. Average
2. Far above average
3. Far below average
4. Moderately above average
5. Moderately below average
6. No opinion
7. Slightly above average
8. Slightly below average
205(13.4%)
656(42.8%)
15(1.0%)
382(24.9%)
13(0.8%)
43(2.8%)
192(12.5%)
26(1.7%)
 1 (0.1%)
pbsother_issuesofourtimes [character]
1. Average
2. Far above average
3. Far below average
4. Moderately above average
5. Moderately below average
6. No opinion
7. Slightly above average
8. Slightly below average
229(14.9%)
451(29.4%)
19(1.2%)
480(31.3%)
24(1.6%)
50(3.3%)
237(15.5%)
42(2.7%)
 1 (0.1%)
pbsother_differentprogramformats [character]
1. Average
2. Far above average
3. Far below average
4. Moderately above average
5. Moderately below average
6. No opinion
7. Slightly above average
8. Slightly below average
250(16.3%)
522(34.1%)
10(0.7%)
385(25.1%)
18(1.2%)
73(4.8%)
235(15.3%)
38(2.5%)
 2 (0.1%)
pbsother_innovativeprogramformats [character]
1. Average
2. Far above average
3. Far below average
4. Moderately above average
5. Moderately below average
6. No opinion
7. Slightly above average
8. Slightly below average
279(18.2%)
433(28.3%)
11(0.7%)
420(27.4%)
15(1.0%)
91(5.9%)
231(15.1%)
51(3.3%)
 2 (0.1%)
pbsother_diversityofvoices [character]
1. Average
2. Far above average
3. Far below average
4. Moderately above average
5. Moderately below average
6. No opinion
7. Slightly above average
8. Slightly below average
248(16.2%)
498(32.5%)
19(1.2%)
383(25.0%)
25(1.6%)
57(3.7%)
251(16.4%)
51(3.3%)
 1 (0.1%)
pbsother_noncommercialspace [character]
1. Average
2. Far above average
3. Far below average
4. Moderately above average
5. Moderately below average
6. No opinion
7. Slightly above average
8. Slightly below average
229(14.9%)
561(36.6%)
21(1.4%)
365(23.8%)
33(2.2%)
67(4.4%)
202(13.2%)
54(3.5%)
 1 (0.1%)
pbsother_accesstoartandculture [character]
1. Average
2. Far above average
3. Far below average
4. Moderately above average
5. Moderately below average
6. No opinion
7. Slightly above average
8. Slightly below average
200(13.1%)
592(38.6%)
20(1.3%)
373(24.3%)
27(1.8%)
49(3.2%)
223(14.6%)
48(3.1%)
 1 (0.1%)
pbsother_understandingamericanhistory [character]
1. Average
2. Far above average
3. Far below average
4. Moderately above average
5. Moderately below average
6. No opinion
7. Slightly above average
8. Slightly below average
198(12.9%)
569(37.1%)
20(1.3%)
390(25.5%)
26(1.7%)
59(3.9%)
221(14.4%)
49(3.2%)
 1 (0.1%)
pbsother_improvingliteracy [character]
1. Average
2. Far above average
3. Far below average
4. Moderately above average
5. Moderately below average
6. No opinion
7. Slightly above average
8. Slightly below average
218(14.2%)
557(36.4%)
29(1.9%)
366(23.9%)
26(1.7%)
68(4.4%)
213(13.9%)
54(3.5%)
 2 (0.1%)
pbsother_understandingsciencetechnology [character]
1. Average
2. Far above average
3. Far below average
4. Moderately above average
5. Moderately below average
6. No opinion
7. Slightly above average
8. Slightly below average
192(12.5%)
544(35.5%)
14(0.9%)
433(28.3%)
39(2.5%)
55(3.6%)
207(13.5%)
47(3.1%)
 2 (0.1%)
pbsother_understandingethnicdiversity [character]
1. Average
2. Far above average
3. Far below average
4. Moderately above average
5. Moderately below average
6. No opinion
7. Slightly above average
8. Slightly below average
231(15.1%)
530(34.7%)
29(1.9%)
389(25.5%)
21(1.4%)
53(3.5%)
225(14.7%)
50(3.3%)
 5 (0.3%)
pbsother_informingabouthealth [character]
1. Average
2. Far above average
3. Far below average
4. Moderately above average
5. Moderately below average
6. No opinion
7. Slightly above average
8. Slightly below average
245(16.0%)
466(30.5%)
14(0.9%)
433(28.3%)
25(1.6%)
66(4.3%)
231(15.1%)
49(3.2%)
 4 (0.3%)
levelofbias_pbsorganisation [character]
1. Left leaning
2. Neutral / All sides
3. Right leaning
4. Totally left
5. Totally right
267(17.4%)
791(51.6%)
122(8.0%)
164(10.7%)
188(12.3%)
 1 (0.1%)
levelofbias_pbsnews [character]
1. Left leaning
2. Neutral / All sides
3. Right leaning
4. Totally left
5. Totally right
287(18.7%)
812(53.0%)
142(9.3%)
120(7.8%)
171(11.2%)
 1 (0.1%)
levelofbias_pbsentertainment [character]
1. Left leaning
2. Neutral / All sides
3. Right leaning
4. Totally left
5. Totally right
209(13.6%)
893(58.3%)
150(9.8%)
98(6.4%)
182(11.9%)
 1 (0.1%)
whymosttrusted_select [character]
1. Quality of the news
2. Perceived lack of bias in
3. Not sure
4. Perceived lack of bias in
5. Publicly funded
6. Perceived lack of bias in
7. Non-profit
8. Perceived lack of bias in
9. Publicly funded,Non-profi
10. Not influenced by governm
[ 737 others ]
64(4.2%)
43(2.8%)
42(2.7%)
39(2.5%)
35(2.3%)
32(2.1%)
29(1.9%)
22(1.4%)
16(1.0%)
12(0.8%)
1198(78.2%)
 1 (0.1%)
open_whyyoutrust [character]
1. A specific show or progra
2. Children's and educationa
3. High quality programming
4. News exhibits political m
5. Nostalgia, familiarity, a
6. Other
7. Public funding
8. Range and diversity of pr
9. Structure of the network
8(0.6%)
67(5.3%)
130(10.3%)
366(29.0%)
118(9.3%)
347(27.5%)
169(13.4%)
34(2.7%)
24(1.9%)
 270 (17.6%)
open_whymosttrusted [character]
1. A specific show or progra
2. Children's and educationa
3. High quality programming
4. News exhibits political m
5. Nostalgia, familiarity, a
6. Other
7. Public funding
8. Range and diversity of pr
1(0.5%)
14(7.6%)
7(3.8%)
29(15.7%)
14(7.6%)
95(51.4%)
20(10.8%)
5(2.7%)
 1348 (87.9%)
pbscontribution_howoften [character]
1. Bi-annually
2. Few times a year
3. Monthly
4. Never
5. Rarely
143(9.3%)
242(15.8%)
439(28.7%)
340(22.2%)
368(24.0%)
 1 (0.1%)
pbscontribution_howmuchannual [character]
1. $0-$99
2. $1,000-$9,999
3. $10,000-$19,999
4. $100-$499
5. $20,000-$49,999
6. $50,000-$99,999
7. $500-$999
8. Not sure
9. Over $100,000
453(39.2%)
72(6.2%)
33(2.9%)
204(17.7%)
38(3.3%)
43(3.7%)
94(8.1%)
91(7.9%)
127(11.0%)
 378 (24.7%)
subscription_streaming [logical]
1. FALSE
2. TRUE
1452(94.7%)
81(5.3%)
 0 (0.0%)
subscription_cable [logical]
1. FALSE
2. TRUE
1486(96.9%)
47(3.1%)
 0 (0.0%)
subscription_broadcasttv [logical]
1. FALSE
2. TRUE
1507(98.3%)
26(1.7%)
 0 (0.0%)
subscription_internet [logical]
1. FALSE
2. TRUE
1445(94.3%)
88(5.7%)
 0 (0.0%)
subscription_newspaper [logical]
1. FALSE
2. TRUE
1523(99.3%)
10(0.7%)
 0 (0.0%)
subscription_newsmagazines [logical]
1. FALSE
2. TRUE
1530(99.8%)
3(0.2%)
 0 (0.0%)

Generated by summarytools 1.0.1 (R version 4.2.3)
2023-08-11

3 Analyses

3.1 Characteristics of trustee

Institution-based trust is impersonal and based on the conviction that society provides structures (regulations, institutions) that allow people to trust those structures and, through that, each other. As McKnight & Chervany (2013) explain, this comes with a structural assurance: structures have built-in “guarantees” that ensure trusting intentions.

Characteristics of PBS as trusted institution:

  • R1: How and in what ways is trust in PBS based in its institutional / structural characteristics (funding, independence)

Comparing all the institutions in terms of level of trust:

pbs_trust <- select(pbs, starts_with("personaltrust")) %>%
  rename("NPR"="personaltrust_npr",
         "NASA"="personaltrust_nasa",                
         "Smithsonian"="personaltrust_smithsonian",
         "PBS"="personaltrust_pbs",
         "Public Schools"="personaltrust_publicschools",
         "Congress"="personaltrust_congress",
         "Current President"="personaltrust_currentpresident",
         "State Government"="personaltrust_stategovernment",
         "Postal Services"="personaltrust_postalservices",
         "Courts of Law"="personaltrust_courtsoflaw",         
         "Law Enforcement and Police"="personaltrust_lawenforcementpolice",
         "Military"="personaltrust_military") %>%
  pivot_longer(c("NPR","NASA","Smithsonian","PBS","Public Schools",
               "Congress","Current President","State Government",
               "Postal Services","Courts of Law","Law Enforcement and Police","Military"),
               names_to = "institution",
               values_to = "trust") %>%
  group_by(institution, trust) %>%
  summarize(count = n()) %>%
  ungroup() %>%
  mutate(trust = fct_relevel(trust, "No opinion","Distrust a great deal",
                             "Somewhat distrust", "Neither trust nor distrust",
                             "Somewhat trust", "Trust a great deal"),
         institution = relevel(as.factor(institution),ref="PBS")) %>%
  na.omit()
## `summarise()` has grouped output by 'institution'. You can override using the
## `.groups` argument.
g <- ggplot(pbs_trust, aes(y=trust, x=count, fill=institution)) +
  geom_col() +
  facet_wrap(~institution) + 
  guides(fill="none") +
  theme(text=element_text(family="serif")) +
  xlab("Count") +
  ylab("Level of trust")
g

  • Process-based trust results from repeated contact and interaction between trustor and trustee. While the original contact and interaction may be coincidental (stumbling upon a particular media channel), repeated contacts can result in the reduction of uncertainty and the building of trust. o Translated into how long folks have been PBS viewers (Mr Rogers’ effect) o R2: How and in what ways is trust in PBS based on processed-based, historical viewing habits?
  • Character-based trust, finally, results from perceived trustworthiness of particular characteristics of the trustee by the trustor. o Quality of programs o R3: How and in what ways is trust in PBS based on its programmatic and content-based decisions? Characteristics of the trustor
  • SES, political leanings, wider media use.. o R4: How is trust in PBS related to political affiliations, to media use and attitudes and to wider SES?

(Trust in) PBS news in a polarized news media ecology how does PBS news perform on characteristics of ‘good journalism’ (trustworthiness, balance…) compared to other news media how does this differ according to characteristics of the audience (SES, political leanings, media use)