It seems like everywhere you go you can’t escape the bombardment of Donald Trump media coverage. This makes sense, on account that he is the 45th president of the United States and he is making big changes to the country, but is the media’s harsh portrayal of him justified?

It isn’t hard to see that many news outlets neglect to restrain their own personal bias when they deliver reports on Trump that paint him in an unfavorable light.

According to a poll conducted by Gallup.com, an analytics and advice website, 36 percent of Americans think that the media has been too tough on Trump, as opposed to the 28 percent who think they are not tough enough on him.

When split between Republicans and Democrats, the poll states that nearly three-quarters of Republicans say that the media has been too tough on Trump, while Democrats are divided on whether the coverage has been fair or not.

Of course Trump’s response to all the negative coverage is to label the most watchdog Trump media outlets as untrustworthy, while praising the media outlets that support him.

Whatever side of the Trump spectrum you find yourself on, the news media should be seen as a trustworthy source, a tool to help you understand worldly issues, but that is not always the case.

Another poll was conducted by Emerson College and it reported that 53 percent of voters considered the news media to be dishonest, with only 39 percent who found them truthful.

If the media is starting to be considered dishonest then how are people suppose to know what is going on?

Fact-checking and presenting the public with an accurate report on matters that are important is known as watchdog journalism. It is with this type of journalism that helps bring awareness to issues and encourage a change.

Watchdog journalism has played an important role in keeping the government from abusing its power and exposing it when it has.

This type of journalism is what unmasked the hidden Government practices from Watergate to the Edward Snowden leak of numerous surveillance programs aimed at its own citizens.

Many journalists believe that there is an ethical guideline that should be followed in order to ensure that the public is informed because that should be the most important service.

If the citizens are not knowledgeable in government as well as worldly issues, how could democracy exist?

According to the Society of Professional Journalists, journalists should “seek truth and report it” as well as “minimize harm” by treating people as human beings first. They must also “act independently” to ensure they provide the truth to the public while also staying “accountable and transparent.”

These are very important principles to the infrastructure of journalism and another reason why it is so important.

It is needed, now more than ever.

It is understandable that a journalist can let it slip that they may not actually like Trump, after all they are human, but that shouldn’t be the driving force of their reporting. They should be reporting the truth to ensure the public is well informed. If they are aiming for higher ratings and website hits, then they are only adding to the “fake news” hysteria.