A Monmouth University poll released Monday shows more than three in four Americans, an astounding 77 percent, believe that traditional television and print outlets engage in reporting fake news at least on an occasional basis. That’s up from 63 percent who felt the same way the year before.

The Sinclair script highlights this perspective: “More alarming, some media outlets publish these same fake stories … stories that just aren’t true, without checking facts first.”

In January, a Gallup study showed only 32 percent of Americans say the media is “careful to separate fact from opinion,” while 58 percent believed that in 1984.

Again, go back to the script: “Unfortunately, some members of the media use their platforms to push their own personal bias and agenda to control ‘exactly what people think.’ … This is extremely dangerous to a democracy.”