Trust in mass media among Americans has reached a historic low for the third consecutive year, according to a Gallup survey spanning 1997 to 2025. Only 28 percent of respondents expressed a great deal or fair amount of trust in the media, compared to 68 percent in 1972. The decline affects both Democrats and Republicans, with Democrats experiencing an 19-point drop and Republicans a six-point decrease over three years.
The data reveals a stark shift in Republican perspectives, as the percentage of individuals reporting “no trust at all” in media rose 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 marking a pivotal moment in deepening partisan divides. While the trust gap between parties has narrowed in recent years, overall confidence in media and civic institutions remains at historic lows.
