Gallup listed a number of key findings from 2023, including China is now seen as a threat by more Americans, overwhelmed managers are now the biggest threat to business success, more Ukrainians aspire to EU and NATO membership, and confidence in the U.S. Supreme Court is at a record low. Among these findings is the disturbing continuous decline in Americans’ trust in mass media. Thirty-nine percent of Americans say they have no confidence in mass media (newspapers, TV, radio) when it comes to reporting the news fully, accurately, and fairly.
By The Numbers:
Thirty-two percent of Americans have a “great deal/fair amount” of confidence in mass media, compared to 39% who have “none at all,” and 29% ho have “not very much” confidence.
The last time confidence was this low was 2016, when 32% of Americans said they had a “great deal/fair amount” of confidence, 27% said they had “none at all,” and 41% had “not very much” confidence.
Looking at the partisan breakdown today, 58% of Democrats, 29% of Independents, and 11% of Republicans said they have “great deal/fair amount” of confidence in the media. In 1972, those numbers were 74%, 59%, and 68%, respectfully.
The Bottom Line: Americans’ trust in the news media is at the lowest point since 2016, when Republicans’ declining faith in the media drove the overall number down. This year, Democrats have started to waver in their trust, threatening to drive this number down ever more as we enter the presidential election year. While partisanship will remain, it will be important for candidates and campaigns to keep this in mind as they choose their main messages and mediums on which they communicate their message to their voters.
