WASHINGTON, DC — Americans continue to report a record level of trust in the media, with 31% expressing “a lot” or “some” confidence in the media to report information “completely, precise and fair”, similar compared to 32% last year. Americans’ trust in media – such as newspapers, television and radio – fell first 32% in 2016 and I did it again last year.
For the third year in a row, more American adults have no trust in the media (36%) than trust them a lot or quite a bit. 33% of Americans express “not a lot” of confidence.
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Gallup first asked this question in 1972 and has measured it most years since 1997. In three readings in the 1970s, confidence ranged between 68% and 72%, but in subsequent Gallup readings at in the late 1990s and early 2000s, smaller majorities of 51% were observed. % to 55% trusted the news media. The latest results come from a poll conducted September 3-15, which includes Gallup’s annual update on trust in the media and other civic and political entities in the United States.
As has been the case historically, partisans have varying levels of trust in the media to report the news completely, accurately, and fairly. Currently, 54% of Democrats, 27% of independents and 12% of Republicans say they have a lot or a fair amount of trust in the media. The confidence of independents corresponds to that record low in 2022while those of Democrats and Republicans are statistically similar to their historical lows.
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After falling precipitously to a trend low of 51% in 2016, Democrats’ trust in the media ranged between 68% and 76% between 2017 and 2022, but fell to 58% last year and has declined slightly since.
Over the past two decades, large trust gaps have also emerged by age. An analysis by age groups using aggregated data to increase sample sizes shows a 17 percentage point trust gap between the oldest Americans (those aged 65 and over) and those under 50 – 43% versus 26%, respectively.
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Younger Democrats trust the media much less than older Democrats: 31% of Democrats ages 18 to 29, compared to 74% of those 65 and older, trust a lot or somewhat.
Local and state governments are most trusted; Media, legislative power
The news media is the least trusted group among the ten American civic and political institutions involved in the democratic process. The legislative branch of the federal government, made up of the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives, is as poorly rated as the media, with 34% trusting it.
In contrast, the majority of American adults express at least a fair amount of confidence in their local government to handle local problems (67%), in their state government to solve state problems (55%), and in the American people as a whole when it comes to state issues. to make judgments in our democratic system about the problems facing the country (54%).
Between 40 and 48 percent of Americans trust the judiciary led by the U.S. Supreme Court, politicians, the federal government’s handling of international issues, and the executive branch led by the president. Fewer American adults trust how the federal government handles domestic issues (37%).
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Each of these individual ratings is below its average dating back to 1972, with several near historic lows – including the federal government’s handling of domestic and international issues, the executive and judicial branches, and the American people. in its entirety.
The only significant change since last year is a six-point increase in confidence in men and women in politics who hold or are running for public office.
Democrats trust most entities more than Republicans, except the judiciary
Majorities of Democrats, ranging from 54% to 82%, express a great deal or a fair amount of confidence in all but two entities: the legislative and judicial branches of the federal government. For their part, majorities of Republicans have confidence in the judiciary and in state and local governments.
Besides the media, Democrats’ confidence exceeds Republicans’ by more than 40 points when it comes to the executive branch, the federal government’s handling of international and domestic issues, and candidates for public office. Republicans’ confidence exceeds that of Democrats in only one of these entities: the judiciary.
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Each entity is more trusted by older adults than younger adults, with the exception of the legislative and judicial branches, for which there is no difference.
Conclusion
The United States continues to suffer from a crisis of confidence in many institutionsincluding the federal government, its three branches, and those who hold or run for public office. Furthermore, trust in the fourth estate – the media – is at a new low. Local and state governments and the American people as a whole are the only entities that earn the trust of more than half of American adults.
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