Study Finds Democrats Far More Interested in Watchdog Media

NEW YORK (AP) — A survey finds that there's a big change in just a year in how Democrats and Republicans view the media's role as watchdogs of political leaders.

A Pew Research Center study out Wednesday says nearly nine in 10 Democrats say a critical media is important because it keeps political leaders from doing things they shouldn't. Meanwhile, only 42 percent of Republicans feel that way.

It's not unusual that more supporters of a party out of power would feel that way. But the change is startling in just one year. Last year, Pew found that a virtually identical percentage of party members supported a skeptical media: 77 percent of Republicans and 74 percent of Democrats.

One big difference: Democrat Barack Obama was in office last year; it's Republican Donald Trump this year.

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