Americans' trust in media plunges to new low of 28%, data suggests
FILE-A television broadcasts President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin arriving in Anchorage, Alaska, on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, US, on Friday, Aug. 15, 2025. (Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty I
Trust in the media among Americans has plummeted significantly based on findings in a recent Gallup poll.
Responses to the survey were related to the public’s confidence in media outlets to report news fairly, fully and accurately.
Americans trust in media reaches new low
Why you should care:
Only 28% of Americans express a "great deal" or "fair amount" of trust in newspapers, television and radio to report the news fully, accurately and fairly, which Gallup noted is down from 31% in 2024 and 40% in 2020.
Gallup also found that seven in 10 Americans now admit they have "not very much" confidence (36%) or "none at all" (34%) in the media.
Data for the poll was based on telephone interviews conducted by ReconMR between Sept. 2-16, 2025, using a random sample of 1,000 people 18 years and older living in all 50 U.S. states and Washington, D.C.
Media confidence higher among older Americans
Dig deeper:
Trust in the media varies by age groups with Gallup revealing that in the last three years, from 2023 to 2025, roughly 43% of Americans 65 years old and older say they trust the media, compared to only 28% in any younger age demographic.
Trust in media is down among political parties
The other side:
Democrats and Republicans' confidence in the media has varied over the years and the poll determined that the Republicans’ confidence, which hasn’t increased more than 21% since 2015, has dipped to 8% for the first time.
Among Democrats, only 51% now express trust in the media, which Gallup explains in its survey is a repeat of the low previously seen in 2016. Meanwhile, independents’ trust has not reached the majority level since 2003, and the latest 27% reading matches last year’s historical low.
The Source: Information for this story was provided by a Gallup poll, which gathered data based on telephone interviews, using a random sample of 1,000 people 18 years and older living in all 50 U.S. states and Washington, D.C. This story was reported from Washington, D.C.