For as long as news has existed, there have been claims that media outlets are biased. According to a study conducted by Gallup and the Knight Foundation, nearly half of Americans believe that the media is highly biased. A second study backs this claim, and reveals that Wyoming residents have the highest level of distrust towards mainstream media. 

Based on research, there’s no evidence that Wyoming media outlets practice gatekeeping, which is when a media outlet fails to cover a story, considered by some as relevant. Similarly, there are very small differences in the way these channels cover the same stories. Both the local newspapers and news media were found to be neutral and politically moderate in their coverage. 

That said, it’s not surprising that Wyoming residents, considering the demographics, consider media outlets to be biased. The national news is mostly produced on the East Coast, and Wyoming already has a shaky relationship with New York City and Washington. This is because politicians and hedge fund managers have a lot of influence on the Midwest's resource-endowed states.

While the Internet has helped to equalize the media situation, the situation is further exacerbated by the sharp differences that exist in the population’s composition from East Coast to Midwest, where there are more conservatives. Countrywide, conservatives tend to be the most skeptical of media outlets. This explains why residents view Wyoming media outlets as the most biased, even though it’s not necessarily true.