How much trust do you have in the Media?

Background

Trust in the American media has reached historic lows. According to Gallup's September 2025 survey of 1,000 U.S. adults, only 28 percent of Americans say they have a great deal or fair amount of trust in newspapers, television, and radio to report the news fully, accurately, and fairly — the first time this figure has dropped below 30 percent. This marks a steep decline from 31 percent just a year earlier, 40 percent five years ago, and 68 percent in 1972 when Gallup first tracked the measure. Pew Research Center, surveying over 5,000 adults in September 2025, found that 56 percent retain at least some trust in national news organizations, but that figure has fallen 20 points since 2016. A February 2026 Pew report also found that 57 percent of Americans have little or no confidence in journalists to act in the public's best interests. The decline cuts across demographics: Gallup found trust at record lows for Republicans (8 percent), independents (27 percent), and Democrats (51 percent), with younger Americans and older Americans diverging sharply — only about 28 percent of adults under 50 express trust, compared with 43 percent of those 65 and older.

Supporters of the media argue that professional journalism remains essential for holding powerful institutions accountable, investigating corruption, and providing citizens with the verified information needed for self-governance. They point out that when people are asked about specific journalists or local news outlets rather than the media as a broad concept, trust levels rise considerably — an Emerson College poll from April 2025 found 72 percent of Americans trust local news. Critics, by contrast, argue that mainstream outlets have become increasingly partisan, that perceived bias in coverage has eroded credibility, and that legacy media has failed to adapt to a fragmented digital landscape. Some attribute the decline partly to sustained political attacks characterizing coverage as fake news, while others say the media itself bears responsibility for sensationalism and a loss of editorial rigor.

The erosion of media trust carries significant implications for American democracy. When citizens cannot agree on shared facts, it becomes harder to engage in productive civic debate, evaluate candidates, or hold leaders accountable. As Pew Research Center found, adults under 30 now trust information from social media about as much as they trust national news organizations, suggesting the gap between professional journalism and unvetted content may continue to narrow. Gallup has noted that unless trust rebounds among younger and Republican audiences, overall confidence could decline further. For voters, the question of how much to trust the media shapes not only which sources they rely on, but how they interpret the political issues that affect their daily lives — from public health to the economy to elections themselves.