Public trust in the mass media has reached its lowest point since Gallup began measuring it nearly fifty years ago.

According to the organization’s latest survey, only 28 percent of Americans say they have “a great deal” or “a fair amount” of confidence in newspapers, television, and radio to report the news fully, accurately, and fairly.

A record-low 28% of Americans trust the media a great deal or fair amount to report the news fully, accurately and fairly. pic.twitter.com/bwOyygz9JS

— Gallup (@Gallup) October 2, 2025

The 2025 numbers mark a decline from 31 percent in 2024 and 40 percent just five years earlier.

In the 1970s, Gallup found that between 68 and 72 percent of Americans expressed confidence in the media. Trust dropped steadily over the decades and fell below a majority level in the early 2000s.

When Gallup first asked the question in 1972, trust in mass media was above 70 percent, during an era when television anchors like Walter Cronkite were viewed as authoritative.

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By 1997, confidence had dropped to 53 percent.

In 2004, as blogs and independent online news sites expanded, Gallup reported that trust had fallen to 44 percent.

Since then, the number has never returned to majority levels.

High-profile controversies, including CBS’s 2004 use of disputed documents in a report about George W. Bush’s military service, accelerated skepticism toward traditional outlets.

In recent years, coverage of President Donald Trump, the handling of the Hunter Biden laptop story, and disputes over COVID-19 reporting further contributed to declining trust levels.

The Gallup poll shows sharp divides along political and demographic lines.

Republican trust in the media remains in single digits, with just 8 percent expressing confidence.

🚨 Brand new @Gallup poll. This must be fixed to have a more robust democracy. And the only one who can fix this absolute collapse in media trust is…wait for it…the media. By the way, Democrat trust is also tied for the all-time low. Lack of confidence is bipartisan. pic.twitter.com/MMcJoJX22e

— John Stoll (@JohnStoll1977) October 2, 2025

Among Democrats, trust has also slipped.

While 76 percent reported confidence in 2018, the figure stands at 51 percent today.

Independents reported only 27 percent confidence, leaving them closer to Republicans than Democrats in their views.

Generational divides are also evident.

Only 28 percent of adults aged 18–29 said they trust the media.

Among those aged 30–64, the figure drops further, to 23 percent.

Older Americans remain somewhat more trusting, with 43 percent of those over 65 saying they have confidence in the media.

Gallup Poll: Trust in Media at New Low of 28% in U.S. by Red Voice News

The Gallup survey highlights a steep loss of faith in traditional media outlets and suggests that skepticism cuts across party lines. Confidence in the media stood at 45 percent in 2017; in just eight years, it has dropped to 28 percent.

Media analysts note that diminished trust directly impacts the ability of traditional news outlets to influence public opinion.

Without widespread confidence, newspapers, television, and radio have less ability to shape political narratives or reach undecided voters.

Republicans have long criticized major networks and newspapers as biased against conservatives.

In 2020, more than 50 intelligence officials signed a letter dismissing the Hunter Biden laptop story as potential Russian disinformation, a characterization later shown to be inaccurate.

That episode, combined with years of disputes over coverage of President Trump, remains a frequent example cited by those who distrust the press.

Democrats, though traditionally more supportive of mainstream outlets, have also shown declining levels of trust.

After years of media predictions about Trump’s political downfall, polling now shows barely half of Democratic voters confident in the press.

Gallup’s latest findings reveal a continuing downward trend that shows no signs of reversing.

With only 28 percent of Americans reporting confidence in newspapers, television, and radio, trust in the media has fallen to its lowest point in nearly half a century.

As skepticism spreads among Republicans, independents, and even Democrats, the survey suggests that the nation’s leading media outlets face an ongoing challenge in regaining credibility with the American public.