Americans’ confidence in the mass media continues to wane: Poll

Oct 21

Craig Nigrelli Reporter

By Craig Nigrelli (Reporter), Ian Kennedy (Lead Video Editor)

A new survey indicates that Americans trust the media less and less. The new information comes from Gallup, which paints a picture of how the public views the media with just weeks to go before the 2024 presidential election.

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The survey shows 36% of respondents have “none at all” when it comes to trust in the media. A further 33% said “not very much” and 31% responded with a “great deal or fair amount.”

Gallup says it’s the third consecutive year that “no trust at all” is greater than “a great deal or fair amount” of trust. Compare that to the 1970’s when a positive response on trust, ranged from 68% to 72%.

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The trust factor depends on a person’s political affiliation. The survey question asked, in general “how much trust do you have in the mass media, such as newspapers, tv and radio, when it comes to reporting the news fully, accurately and fairly?”

In the survey, 54% of Democrats said they have a great deal or fair amount, compared to Republicans at 12% and independents at 27%. In addition, Gallup found that young Democrats, ages 18 to 29, trust the media far less than Americans who are 65 and older.

The Gallup poll also compared the media to government entities and found the news media to be the least trusted group among 10 U.S. civil and political institutions. By comparison, Congress was number nine.

[Craig Nigrelli]

AS THE 2024 ELECTION DRAWS CLOSER, A NEW SURVEY INDICATES AMERICANS TRUST THE MASS MEDIA, LESS AND LESS. A POLL, RELEASED BY GALLUP, SHOWS 36% OF RESPONDENTS HAVE “NONE AT ALL” WHEN IT COMES TO TRUST IN THE MEDIA. 33% SAID “NOT VERY MUCH” TRUST AND 31% RESPONDED THEY HAVE A “GREAT DEAL OR FAIR AMOUNT.”
GALLUP SAYS ITS THE THIRD CONSECUTIVE YEAR THAT “NO TRUST AT ALL” IS GREATER THAN, “ A GREAT DEAL OR FAIR AMOUNT” TRUST.
COMPARE THAT TO THE 1970’S WHEN A POSITIVE RESPONSE ON TRUST RANGED FROM 68% TO 72%.
THE TRUST FACTOR ALSO DEPENDS ON A PERSON’S POLITICAL AFFILIATION.
THE GALLUP QUESTION ASKED : IN GENERAL “HOW MUCH TRUST AND CONFIDENCE DO YOU HAVE IN THE MASS MEDIA, SUCH AS NEWSPAPERS, TV AND RADIO, WHEN IT COMES TO REPORTING THE NEWS FULLY, ACCURATELY AND FAIRLY ?”
54% OF DEMOCRATS SAID THEY HAVE A GREAT DEAL OR FAIR AMOUNT, REPUBLICANS : JUST 12% AND INDEPENDENTS 27%.
IT’S A SIGNIFICANT DROP FOR DEMOCRATS. FOUR YEARS AGO IN 2020, 73% RESPONDED THAT THEY HAVE A GREAT DEAL OR FAIR AMOUNT OF CONFIDENCE IN THE PRESS. IN ADDITION, GALLUP FOUND THAT YOUNG DEMOCRATS, AGES 18 TO 29, TRUST THE MEDIA FAR LESS THAN OLDER AMERICANS, WHO ARE AT LEAST 65.
REPUBLICANS TRUST IN THE MEDIA, TICKED UP SLIGHTLY FROM 10 % IN 2020 TO JUST 12%. BUT IT HAS REMAINED IN THE TEENS SINCE 2019.
THE GALLUP POLL ALSO COMPARED THE MEDIA TO GOVERNMENT ENTITIES AND FOUND QUOTE “THE NEWS MEDIA IS THE LEAST TRUSTED GROUP AMONG TEN U.S. CIVIL AND POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS”. BY COMPARISON, CONGRESS WAS NUMBER NINE.