At the same time, 85 percent said they detect a bias in news reporting. Of those, 48 percent identified it as liberal, 30 percent as conservative, 12 percent as both, and 3 percent as other bias.

About two-thirds said journalists invade people's privacy too often, while roughly three-quarters said the news is too negative.

"The consumers of American journalism respect, value and need it, but they're also skeptical about whether journalists really live up to the standards of accuracy, fairness and respect for others that we profess," said George Kennedy, a Missouri journalism professor and co-author of a study that incorporates the survey results.

The survey found that Americans strongly support the investigative or watchdog role of the press, with 83 percent saying it is important for journalists to press for access to information even when government officials would like to keep it quiet.

But there was also plenty of criticism. Among the poll's findings: