Once again, trust in the mainstream media has hit a record low. Democrats and young people are primarily behind the recent decline.
We have yet another Fourth Turning indicator: Confidence in the mass media continues to erode. (See “Trust in US Institutions Remains Low.”)
According to a recent Gallup survey, only 28% of Americans have a great deal or fair amount of trust in the mass media to report the news accurately and fairly. That’s a -3 percentage point decline since 2024, and a -12 percentage point decline since 2022. It’s also the lowest reading ever recorded in the 53 years Gallup has measured media opinions.
The recent decline in trust is primarily due to Democrats. In 2022, 70% of Dems trusted the media. Today, only 51% say the same thing, a decline of -19 percentage points.
Republican trust collapsed during the 2016 election and has stayed low ever since (8%).
By age, older Americans are more trusting than younger cohorts. While 43% of adults 65+ trust the media, only about 28% of younger Americans say the same. But this gap may start to narrow. Since 2001, every generation has moved into the next-older age bracket and has brought their attitudes with them. Boomer seniors are less trusting than Silent seniors. And midlife Xers are less trusting than midlife Boomers. As Xers enter the 65+ age bracket, expect older Americans to become much less trusting.
So what news sources do Americans trust? A Pew report from earlier this year plotted net trust for each news outlet.
I see two striking patterns in this chart. First, overtly partisan outlets like MSNBC and Fox News end up near the middle, not because the public is neutral, but because the country is so polarized that supporters and critics cancel each other out.
Second, the outliers aren’t symmetrical. The least trusted outlets tend to be more conspiratorial and tabloid in tone (Breitbart, HuffPost, New York Post), while the most trusted are more credentialed, erudite, and institutionally grounded (BBC, PBS, NPR). It may surprise some readers that NPR and PBS rank so high, given their perceived blue-zone tilt. (The Trump White House has accused the outlets of “spreading radical, woke propaganda.”) But according to PBS’s own data, nearly two-thirds of its viewers identify as Republican or independent, and it remains especially popular in rural areas. Its mix of community-oriented tone and well-informed programming may help it cut through today’s partisan divide.
I find it interesting how the Wall Street Journal is tied with NPR, while also beating out New York Times and Washington Post. Would also be interesting to see where The Atlantic and Politico are comparatively.
I've personally found my interest in Wall Street Journal increasing significantly, merely by the fact that they made very accurate predictions and observations about the 2024 election. But they are also willing to question Trump's narrative and power.