
Trust in the U.S. media has plummeted to an all-time low, with only 31% of Americans saying they trust news outlets to report the news fairly and accurately, according to a Gallup poll released Monday. The drop in trust reflects growing dissatisfaction with how the media has covered key events, including the January 6 investigation and Hunter Biden’s laptop.
This year’s poll ties the previous low of 32% recorded in 2016 and 2023, with more Americans expressing no trust at all in the media (36%) than those who do. Another 33% report having “not very much” trust in traditional media outlets.
The poll highlights a sharp partisan divide, with 54% of Democrats expressing trust in the media compared to only 27% of independents and 12% of Republicans. This divide has persisted for several years, reflecting how media trust is increasingly shaped by political alignment.
Gallup’s data shows that media trust has been steadily declining since the 1970s, when confidence levels ranged between 60% and 70%. In recent years, however, the rise of social media and alternative platforms has given Americans more options for news, contributing to a loss of faith in mainstream outlets.
As trust in the media continues to erode, the role of traditional news organizations is increasingly being called into question.