Trust in America: Do Americans trust the news media?
The declining public trust in the news media and polarization of news audiences have profound effects on civic life.
Trust in Media
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Introducing the Pew-Knight Initiative
The Pew-Knight Initiative will deliver a comprehensive, real-time look at the information landscape from the standpoints of both consumers and producers of news.
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8 facts about Black Americans and the news
76% of Black adults say they at least sometimes get news on TV, compared with 62% of both White and Hispanic adults and 52% of Asian adults.
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U.S. adults under 30 now trust information from social media almost as much as from national news outlets
Half of 18- to 29-year-olds say they have at least some trust in the information they get from social media sites.
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U.S. journalists differ from the public in their views of ‘bothsidesism’ in journalism
55% of journalists surveyed say that every side does not always deserve equal coverage in the news. 22% of Americans overall say the same.
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Journalists Sense Turmoil in Their Industry Amid Continued Passion for Their Work
A survey of U.S.-based journalists finds 77% would choose their career all over again, though 57% are highly concerned about future restrictions on press freedom.
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How the political typology groups compare
Pew Research Center’s political typology sorts Americans into cohesive, like-minded groups based on their values, beliefs, and views about politics and the political system. Use this tool to compare the groups on some key topics and their demographics.
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Partisan divides in media trust widen, driven by a decline among Republicans
In just five years, the percentage of Republicans with at least some trust in national news organizations has been cut in half.
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More Americans now say government should take steps to restrict false information online than in 2018
48% of US adults say the government should restrict false information online, even if it means losing some freedom to access/publish content.
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Republicans less likely to trust their main news source if they see it as ‘mainstream’; Democrats more likely
Americans’ trust in media varies widely by political party and whether they see the outlet in question as part of the “mainstream media.”
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What makes a news story trustworthy? Americans point to the outlet that publishes it, sources cited
U.S. adults’ views of what makes a news story trustworthy vary by party affiliation, demographic characteristics and news consumption habits.
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