It's Not Just Politicians ...

According to a new Gallup poll, political leaders aren't the only ones Americans don't trust. As Editor & Publisher reports, Gallup's annual survey of "public confidence in major institutions," trust in newspapers and television news has hit an all-time low. Only 28% of respondents said they had "a great deal" or "quite a lot" of trust in newspapers and television; since 2000 those numbers have dropped by almost ten percent.

On the bright side, however, newspapers and televison fare reasonably well when compared with political figures. Confidence in the presidency, Congress and the criminal justice system has decreased by 8% since last year's poll, with Congress' 22% trust rating the lowest in eight years. (and the same trust level as "big business" - a very revealing detail?). Only HMOs (with a 17% trust rating) were lower.

Confidence in the Supreme Court dropped five percent, to 41%. The military and police topped the trust numbers, with 74% and 63% respectively. Organized religion garnered a 53% rating.

Things have to change. The American people are looking for leadership, and they're looking for results. Who will step up?