Americans’ confidence in the mass media has sunk to unprecedented levels, with fewer than three in ten now trusting news outlets to report fairly, according to a Gallup poll released this week. The survey, conducted in September among 1,000 adults, found that only 28% expressed a “great deal” or “fair amount” of trust in newspapers, television, and radio. This marks a decline from 31% last year, 40% five years ago, and nearly 70% in the 1970s. Meanwhile, 36% reported “not very much” confidence, and 34% said they had “none at all.”
The decline is particularly stark along partisan lines. For the first time, confidence among Republicans has plummeted into single digits, with just 8% saying they trust the media. Democrats, by contrast, remain significantly more trusting, with 51% expressing confidence in news reporting. Experts point to former President Donald Trump’s contentious relationship with the press as a major factor fueling these splits. Harvard Kennedy School research showed that Trump’s first 100 days in office were covered overwhelmingly negatively, while the Media Research Center reported that more than 90% of evening newscast stories on ABC, NBC, and CBS were unfavorable.
Trump himself has publicly accused major media outlets of spreading misinformation. On the 100th day of his second term, his administration issued a press release titled “100 Days of Hoaxes,” listing 48 reports it deemed false and criticizing a “nonstop deluge of hoaxes and lies.” Such attacks have further polarized public opinion and undermined trust in traditional news sources.
Beyond political divides, structural changes in media consumption are also contributing to declining trust. A June report from the Reuters Institute highlighted that podcasters and AI-driven platforms are increasingly influencing how Americans access news. More than half of Americans under 35 now rely primarily on social media and video networks rather than traditional newspapers or broadcast outlets for information. Former U.S. intelligence officials have even noted that some alternative outlets, like RT, attract larger audiences than established networks such as CNN, reflecting broader shifts in viewing habits and trust.
As Americans continue to navigate a fragmented and rapidly changing media landscape, questions about credibility and reliability are likely to remain at the forefront of public debate.
