--- title: "Which Americans are most likely to have spoken with a local journalist?" description: "About a quarter of Americans have spoken with a local journalist, with education, income, race and community attachment linked to higher rates of interaction." date: "2026-06-29" authors: - name: "Joanne Haner" job_title: "Research Assistant" link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/joanne-haner/" url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2026/06/29/which-americans-are-most-likely-to-have-spoken-with-a-local-journalist/" categories: - "Journalists" - "Journalists" - "Local News" --- # Which Americans are most likely to have spoken with a local journalist? ![](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/06/SR_26.06.29_talkjour_featured.png?w=640) Pew Knight Initiative The Pew-Knight Initiative supports new research on how Americans absorb civic information, form beliefs and identities, and engage in their communities. Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan, nonadvocacy fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. Knight Foundation is a social investor committed to supporting informed and engaged communities. [**Learn more >**](https://www.pewresearch.org/pew-knight/) **About this research** This analysis from the [Pew-Knight Initiative](https://www.pewresearch.org/collections/pew-knight-initiative/) looks at how many Americans say they have spoken with or been interviewed by a local journalist, and who is most likely to have done so. #### Why we did this Pew Research Center regularly asks Americans about their [relationship with local news](https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/fact-sheet/local-news-fact-sheet/). This research aims to better understand the public’s interactions with local news media and adds to our ongoing exploration of their views of the media. Learn more [about Pew Research Center](https://www.pewresearch.org/about/) and our research on [news habits and media](https://www.pewresearch.org/topic/news-habits-media/). #### How we did this We surveyed 3,560 U.S. adults from Dec. 8 to 14, 2025. Everyone who took part in this survey is a member of the Center’s [American Trends Panel](https://www.pewresearch.org/the-american-trends-panel/). The survey reflects the views of the full U.S. adult population. Here are our [survey questions](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/02/PJ_2026.02.11_role-of-news-consumers_questionnaire.pdf), the [detailed responses ](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/02/PJ_2026.02.11_role-of-news-consumers_topline.pdf)and the [methodology](https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/2026/02/11/methodology-role-of-news-consumers/). This is a Pew Research Center analysis from the Pew-Knight Initiative, a research program funded jointly by The Pew Charitable Trusts and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. Find related publications online at [https://www.pewresearch.org/pew-knight/](https://www.pewresearch.org/pew-knight/). About a quarter of Americans (23%) say they have ever spoken with or been interviewed by a local journalist or reporter, according to a December 2025 [Pew Research Center survey](https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/fact-sheet/local-news-fact-sheet/) from the [Pew-Knight Initiative](https://www.pewresearch.org/collections/pew-knight-initiative/). ### Most Americans say they have never spoken with a local journalist *% of U.S. adults who say they have ever spoken with or been interviewed by a local journalist* | | Yes | No | | --- | --- | --- | | 2025 | 23 | 76 | | 2024 | 22 | 78 | | 2018 | 21 | 78 | | 2016 | 26 | 74 | Note: Respondents who did not answer are not shown. Source: Pew Research Center survey of U.S. adults conducted Dec. 8-14, 2025. Responses to this question haven’t changed much since we first asked it in 2016. ***Related:**** *[*Americans’ Changing Relationship With Local News*](https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/2024/05/07/americans-changing-relationship-with-local-news/) Some groups of Americans are more likely than others to have spoken with a local journalist: ### 3 in 10 college graduates say they’ve spoken with a local journalist *% of U.S. adults who have ever spoken with or been interviews by a local journalist* | Demographic | Group | Percentage | | --- | --- | --- | | U.S. adults | All | 23 | | Ages 18-29 | Age | 21 | | 30-49 | Age | 22 | | 50-64 | Age | 26 | | 65+ | Age | 23 | | Male | Gender | 26 | | Female | Gender | 21 | | Rep/Lean Rep | Party | 23 | | Dem/Lean Dem | Party | 25 | | College grad+ | Education | 30 | | Some college | Education | 23 | | HS or less | Education | 17 | | Lower income | Income | 18 | | Middle income | Income | 23 | | Upper income | Income | 31 | | White | Race/Ethnicity | 26 | | Black | Race/Ethnicity | 21 | | Hispanic | Race/Ethnicity | 17 | | Asian* | Race/Ethnicity | 11 | * Estimates for Asian adults are representative of English speakers only. Note: White, Black and Asian adults include those who report being only one race and are not Hispanic. Hispanics are of any race. Family income tiers are based on adjusted 2024 earnings. Source: Pew Research Center survey of U.S. adults conducted Dec. 8-14, 2025. - **Adults with more formal education:** Three-in-ten of those with at least a college degree say they have done this, compared with 17% of adults with a high school diploma or less. - **People with higher family incomes:** 31% of Americans with higher family incomes say they have spoken with a journalist, compared with 18% of those with lower incomes. White adults (26%) are more likely than Hispanic (17%) and Asian (11%) adults to say they have done this, although the difference between White and Black adults (21%) is not statistically different. Similar shares of adults in each age group say they’ve talked to a local journalist. And there is no significant difference between Democrats and Republicans on this question. **People who feel more attached to their local community also are more likely to say they have spoken to a local journalist.** Among those who say they are very attached to their local community, 34% say they have interacted with a local journalist. Smaller shares of those who feel somewhat (23%), not very (20%) or not at all attached (13%) say they’ve done this. However, we can’t say what causes what here: It’s possible that people who feel more attached to their community are more willing to talk to journalists, or that talking to journalists helps people feel more entrenched in their community. It’s also worth noting that journalists do not randomly sample the population when they’re deciding who to speak with, so some groups may have more opportunities than others to interact with local media. *Note: Here are our [survey questions](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/02/PJ_2026.02.11_role-of-news-consumers_questionnaire.pdf), the [detailed responses ](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/02/PJ_2026.02.11_role-of-news-consumers_topline.pdf)and the [methodology](https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/2026/02/11/methodology-role-of-news-consumers/).*