Many groups have been at the center of the "blame game" over who has responsibility for the current economic crisis. Could the media, advertising agencies and/or friends and family deserve at least some of the responsibility for causing people to purchase things they couldn’t afford? According to the American public, the answer is yes.

These are some of the findings of The Harris Poll®, a new nationwide survey of 2,220 U.S. adults surveyed online between March 31 and April 1, 2009 by Harris Interactive®.

More specifically:

- Two-thirds of Americans (66%) believe advertising agencies have at least some responsibility for the current economic crisis because they caused people to buy things they couldn’t afford. In fact, one-third (33%) believe they have complete or a great deal of responsibility;

- Print media, such as newspapers and magazines, are deemed to have at least some responsibility by almost three in five Americans (59%) while 56% of Americans say news and other information websites bear at least some responsibility for the economic crisis;

- Just over half of Americans say talk shows on TV or radio (55%), cable news programs (54%) and network and local news programs (53%) all have at least some responsibility for the current economic crisis because they caused people to buy things they couldn’t afford; and,

- Friends and family come out a little better – just over half (54%) say they do not have that much responsibility or no responsibility at all for causing Americans to buy things they couldn’t afford.

There is also an age divide over who is to blame for the economic crisis. People aged 55 and older are more likely to blame the five media categories and the advertising agencies. On the flip side, those aged 18-34 are less likely to say these six groups have at least some responsibility. For example, three-quarters of the older age group (75%) say advertising agencies have at least some responsibility compared to three in five (60%) 18-34 year olds. When it comes to print media, two-thirds of those aged 55 and older (67%) say they have at least some responsibility while just half of the younger age group (51%) say print media has at least some responsibility.

So What?

Americans are angry and upset about the state of the economy and need someone or some group to blame. The media is always a perfect scapegoat when it comes to taking the blame, whether it’s a political slogan such as 1992’s "Annoy the media, re-elect President Bush" or causing the recent economic crisis. Advertising agencies, however, are normally under the radar screen. Now, thanks to television shows like Mad Men and Trust Me, they are slightly more visible and they are an easy scapegoat.