Trust in the American mass media has plummeted to its lowest point on record, with only 31% of Americans expressing confidence in the institution, according to a new Gallup survey.
The survey shows that media is now the least trusted civic and political institution in the United States, with Americans expressing more confidence in Congress, the Supreme Court, and both local and state governments. The decline in trust, down from 32% last year, matches the previous record low set in 2016.
The share of Americans who say they have “not very much” trust in media has risen from 27% in 2020 to 33% in 2024. While distrust grows, the percentage of those expressing “no trust” at all in the media actually fell from 39% last year to 36%.
Political polarization, which escalated during the Trump presidency, has driven much of this distrust. However, the gap between Republicans and Democrats is narrowing slightly, as Democrats and Independents are also losing confidence. Trust in media hit a record low this year among Independents at 27%, while Democrats’ trust dropped to a near-record low of 54%. Despite Republicans having historically low trust in the media, their confidence has improved slightly since hitting bottom in 2020.
Younger generations, especially those who rely heavily on online sources and social media for news, are largely responsible for the decline in media trust. A mere 26% of Americans aged 18 to 29 express confidence in the media, contributing to the growing generational divide. Among Democrats, this gap is particularly striking, with only 31% of those aged 18 to 29 saying they trust the media, compared to 74% of Democrats aged 65 and older.
Overall, the decline in trust in the media is part of a broader trend of diminishing confidence in almost every major U.S. civic and political institution. In 2024, only state and local governments maintain the confidence of more than half of U.S. adults.
