An opinion poll has indicated that merely 28% of Americans believe television, radio, and newspapers report news accurately
Americans’ confidence in the mass media has dropped to an unprecedented low, with fewer than three out of ten now trusting news outlets to report impartially, according to a recent Gallup poll.
A September poll of 1,000 adults revealed that only 28% expressed a “great deal” or “fair amount” of trust in newspapers, television, and radio. This figure is down from 31% last year, 40% five years ago, and nearly 70% in the 1970s. Concurrently, 36% reported “not very much” confidence, and 34% stated they had “none at all.”
For the first time, confidence among Republicans has plummeted into single digits, with just 8% saying they trust the media. In contrast, 51% of Democrats expressed belief in media reporting.
The tumultuous relationship between US President Donald Trump and the press has reportedly fueled these divisions. A Harvard Kennedy School study found that Trump’s initial 100 days in office received overwhelmingly negative coverage, while the Media Research Center recently estimated that over 90% of evening newscast stories about him on ABC, NBC, and CBS were unfavorable.
On the 100th day of his second term this year, Trump’s administration issued a press release titled “100 Days of Hoaxes,” accusing major outlets of spreading “a nonstop deluge of hoaxes and lies” and listing 48 reports it deemed false.
Beyond partisan politics, structural shifts are also eroding traditional media. A Reuters Institute report in June suggested that podcasters and AI chatbots are playing an increasing role in news dissemination, with more than half of Americans under 35 relying on social and video networks as their primary sources of information.