In 2020, 40% of Americans deemed the media reliable. Now, five years later, that number has fallen by double digits.
A new Gallup survey shows that only 28% represent a “large amount” or “fair amount” trust in newspapers, radio and television, reporting news completely, accurately and fairly.
Decompose it on the party label reveals a significant gap between Republicans and Democrats. 51% of Democrats said they trust what they see and hear from the media. Only 8% of Republicans were confident in the press. In 2015, only 15% of GOP voters trusted the media. Only 27% of independents say they trust what is reported.
Media trust among age groups
Gallup’s research shows that older Americans trust the news more than younger Americans. 43% of adults over the age of 65 trust the media. However, only 28% of young people trust this news.

Gallup said 38% of Democrats between the ages of 18 and 29 trusted the media. 42% of Democrats aged 30 to 49 trust the media. 59% of Democrats between the ages of 50 and 64 believe what they read, while 69%, under 65% of Democrats, trust the news.
When Gallup began his survey in the 1970s, the number of Americans who trusted the media was 68% to 72%. By 1997, that number had fallen to 53%. In 2004, it fell almost 10 points to 44%. This number returned in 2018 when Gallup discovered 45% of them had faith in the media.
“Confidence in the mass media has historically been low, with fewer than three in ten Americans reporting news entirely, fair and accurately with newspapers, television and radio. While decline has been manifested in all major partisan groups, Republican confidence is now falling in single digits, but independents are mostly rather devouring.
Has your trust in the mainstream news media been broken? If so, please let me know why in the comments section below.
