Reuters is reporting that a poll shows that BBC, Al Jazeera, and Fox News are the most trusted news sources in their respective regions. Here is the discussion on Digg. 

Well, the BBC does deserve this reputation, having been known for general neutral and well researched reporting, with the few odd expections.

For Al Jazeera, it is the only news outlet in the Arab region which is seen as free, and not directly under state control (with the exception of  perhaps news on Qatar). It bold and provocative style has earned it the animosity of practically all the regimes in the region. It has also earned its share of conspiracy theories from the public, including it being funded by Israel and by the CIA. On the other hand, the US Administration has directed its wrath against Al Jazeera, whether in the form or supposedly errant  missiles in  Kabul or Baghdad, or attacks from top administration officials, including Donald Rumsfled and Colin Powell including it being the mouthpiece of Bin Laden.

The interesting part is why Fox News is seen as trustworthy in the US. The only explanation is that the wave of conservatism
that has been sweeping the US lately, culminating in the reelection of G.W. Bush, has made Fox News mainstream to a  majority of Americans. It is sad that given the choice there (e.g. CNN, NPR, ...etc. not to mention the plethora of international media accessible via satellite or the internet), the average American does not want, or cannot be bothered with, checking other outlets for alternative views.

The average American is occupied with American Idol and baseball, much  like the Roman citizen was occupied with panem et circenses, as I describe in another article.