This comes as no surprise, and yet it remains incredibly disappointing: trust in the media appears to be at an all-time low.
In a new Gallup poll, only 28% of Americans say they have a “great deal” or a “fair amount” of trust in the mass media. Compare that to 1972 when that number was at 68%. And in 1976, in the aftermath of Watergate, trust in the media was at a whopping 72%.
For the record, the question asked by Gallup was: “In general, how much trust and confidence do you have in the mass media — such as newspapers, TV and radio — when it comes to reporting the news fully, accurately and fairly — a great deal, a fair amount, not very much or none at all?”
Keep digging and the numbers get even more grim. Right now, seven in 10 Americans say they have “not very much” confidence (36%) or “none at all” (34%) in the news.
The distrust, predictably, is more stark depending on political views. Republicans' trust in the media has plummeted to single digits — a mere 8%. Then again, it hasn’t been above 21% since 2015.
Hmm, what happened in 2015?
Oh yeah, Donald Trump ran for president for the first time. Since then, he has intentionally attempted to sway public opinion about the media. He has done this by repeatedly characterizing coverage he doesn’t like as “fake news,” and calling journalists the “enemy of the people.” And judging by these kinds of polls, his tactics have been effective.
The percentage of Republicans who say they have "no trust at all" in the media also skyrocked since Trump hit the political landscape. In 2015, that number was less than 30%. Now, it’s 62%.
However, that’s not to say media trust hasn’t dipped among Independents and Democrats. The survey found that trust in mass media has also sunk to lower levels among Democrats (51%) and Independents (27%).
Still, the 43-point gap between Democrats and Republicans is massive.
That’s not the only noticeable gap in media trust.
Gallup wrote, “There is a clear generational divide in trust in the media that has grown particularly stark over the past decade, according to an analysis of three-year aggregated data to increase sample sizes. In the most recent three-year period, spanning 2023 to 2025, 43% of adults aged 65 and older trust the media, compared with no more than 28% in any younger age group.”
In the bottom line, Gallup wrote:
Confidence in the mass media is historically low, with fewer than three in 10 Americans now placing trust in newspapers, television and radio to report the news fully, fairly and accurately. The decline is evident across all major partisan groups, though Republicans’ confidence is now in the single digits, while independents remain largely skeptical. Democrats, who traditionally have been most positive toward the media, now register only a slim majority.
Generational divides further underscore the erosion, with older adults holding significantly more faith than younger Americans in the media. Given younger Democrats’ relatively low confidence in the media, overall trust could decrease further in the future, unless Republican trust rebounds.
With confidence fractured along partisan and generational lines, the challenge for news organizations is not only to deliver fair and accurate reporting but also to regain credibility across an increasingly polarized and skeptical public.
Oh, by sure to check out this piece from The Hollywood Reporter’s Erik Hayden: “Media Trust Hits New Low, But One Detail Gets Overlooked.”
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Media news, tidbits and interesting links for your weekend review
- Status’ Oliver Darcy reported earlier this week that Bari Weiss will be named editor-in-chief of CBS News in “the coming days.” Now, Puck’s Dylan Byers is reporting that announcement will come Monday. In addition, Paramount Skydance will be officially acquiring The Free Press, the outlet founded by Weiss after she left The New York Times.
- The New York Times’ Benjamin Mullin reports, “Adam O’Neal, the new Opinion Editor at The Washington Post, is laying off staffers as part of a plan to shake up the section. A source says six employees are affected. I’ve also been told some contractors are being terminated.” This comes just as the Post opinion section announced three new hires on Thursday: Boston Globe columnist Carine Hajjar, National Review economics editor Dominic Pino and The Spectator U.S. deputy editor Kate Andrews.
- The latest in our Poynter 50, the series reflecting on 50 moments and people that shaped journalism over the past half-century. This is from Liam Scott: “Twitter rewired journalism in real time.”
- My Poynter colleague Nicole Slaughter Graham with “Journalism falters when it fails to acknowledge history.”
- Semafor’s Burgess Everett reports that Federal Communications Commission chair Brendan Carr will testify before the Senate Commerce Committee headed by Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz. Carr was harshly criticized by Cruz and others for his comments before and after ABC late-night host Jimmy Kimmel’s show was suspended. Cruz called Carr’s threats regarding ABC and Kimmel as “dangerous as hell,” and compared Carr’s actions to those of the “mafioso.” Everett wrote, “Carr and the two other FCC commissioners are expected to appear before the panel in November, although the exact date is being finalized and could slip later, the person said.”
- CNN’s Brian Stelter with “The Root returns to Black ownership.” The website for and about Black America is being acquired by Ashley Allison, a Democratic political strategist and CNN commentator. She is acquiring it from G/O Media. The Root, which was launched in 2008, is returning to Black ownership for the first time in a decade. Check out Stelter’s story for more details.
- Kamala Harris’ new book, “107 Days,” is out now. It immediately shot up to the top of The New York Times’ best-seller list.
- Pretty cool and provocative idea from The New York Times Style Magazine. It’s Kurt Soller, Liz Brown, Jason Chen, James Draney, Miguel Morales, Laura Regensdorf and Michael Snyder with “The 25 Most Influential Magazine Covers of All Time.”
- After 23 years, Wall Street Journal deputy editor in chief Charles Forelle is leaving the paper. WSJ editor in chief Emma Tucker sent out a memo to staff saying Forelle is leaving to “pursue other opportunities.” His last day at the Journal is today. Tucker added, “Our search for a new deputy editor in chief will commence immediately.”
- Joseph P. Smith of the Cherry Hill Courier-Post with “Courier-Post celebrates 150th anniversary. What you may not know about its history.”
- The Washington Post’s Emily Yahr with “A ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ heartthrob confronts ALS — and hopes to help others.”
- “Saturday Night Live” returns for its 51st season Saturday night with host Bad Bunny and musical guest Doja Cat. Here’s The Atlantic’s David Sims with “The One Big Change SNL Is Making.”
- Finally, this is a huge day in music. Taylor Swift’s latest album, “The Life of a Showgirl” drops today. Here’s The New York Times’ Ben Sisario with “Taylor Swift Conquered With the Eras Tour. Now Comes the Victory Lap.” And here’s The Ringer’s Nora Princiotti with “12 Questions Ahead of Taylor Swift’s ‘The Life of a Showgirl.’”
- By the way, Swift is scheduled to appear on NBC’s “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” on Monday and she will be the sole guest on Wednesday’s “Late Night with Seth Meyers” on NBC next Wednesday.
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- Master the tools to connect Washington decisions to local stories — essential coverage as the 2026 elections approach. Enroll now.
- Access Poynter’s comprehensive mental health reporting resources.
Have feedback or a tip? Email Poynter senior media writer Tom Jones at [email protected].
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