By Lucretia Hughes

WASHINGTON — Americans’ confidence in the national news media has fallen to a historic low as accusations of political bias, selective reporting and misleading coverage continue to damage the industry’s credibility.

Only 28% of Americans said they had a “great deal” or “fair amount” of confidence in newspapers, television and radio to report the news fully, accurately and fairly, according to a Gallup survey released in October 2025.

The figure marked the first time Gallup’s measurement of media confidence fell below 30%. Approximately 70% of respondents said they had little confidence or no confidence at all in the country’s mass-media institutions.

The numbers reveal a collapse from the 1970s, when between 68% and 72% of Americans told Gallup they trusted the media. Confidence fell to 53% in 1997 and has not reached majority support since 2003.

The latest findings also show that distrust is no longer confined to one political party.

Republican confidence in the media fell to 8%, the lowest level Gallup has recorded among GOP voters. Trust among independents stood at 27%, while only 51% of Democrats expressed confidence in the media.

The divide is also reflected in where Americans obtain their news.

A Pew Research Center study examining 30 prominent news sources found that Democrats were substantially more likely to trust CNN, MSNBC, NPR, PBS, The New York Times and the major television networks.

Republicans were more likely to trust Fox News, Newsmax, The Daily Wire, The Joe Rogan Experience, Breitbart and the Tucker Carlson Network.

The study found that 58% of Democrats trusted CNN, while 58% of Republicans distrusted the network. The pattern was reversed for Fox News, which was trusted by 56% of Republicans and distrusted by 64% of Democrats.

Those findings describe a country that is not merely debating the news. Americans increasingly disagree about which organizations are credible enough to report it.

For years, major media organizations portrayed themselves as neutral referees capable of separating facts from political interests. Millions of Americans no longer accept that claim.

Critics point to stories that were initially dismissed, minimized or framed as partisan misinformation, only to become legitimate subjects of investigation later. They also accuse national outlets of applying different levels of scrutiny depending on the political party, candidate or institution involved.

The problem extends beyond factual errors. Audiences notice which stories receive constant attention, which disappear quickly and which questions reporters decline to ask.

Credibility is damaged when opinion is presented as straight news, anonymous claims are treated as established facts or corrections receive far less attention than the original reporting. Trust is also weakened when journalists appear more interested in defending institutions than investigating them.

That does not mean every accusation circulating online is true. Viral posts and political memes frequently combine legitimate criticism with claims that lack evidence or context. Independent and conservative media must be held to the same standards of accuracy demanded from corporate outlets.

The answer to biased reporting is not more propaganda from the opposite direction. It is honest journalism.

Reporters should verify claims, identify sources whenever possible, distinguish news from commentary and correct mistakes openly. They should question Republicans, Democrats, government agencies, corporations and advocacy organizations with equal seriousness.

Americans do not need journalists to tell them what to think. They need journalists willing to uncover facts, provide context and allow readers and viewers to reach their own conclusions.

The public’s rejection of establishment media did not happen overnight. It developed through years of perceived double standards, sensational coverage and an increasingly blurred line between journalism and political activism.

Trust cannot be demanded through slogans or restored by blaming the audience. It must be earned one accurate story at a time.

The American people are watching, comparing sources and asking questions. News organizations that refuse to recognize the depth of the credibility crisis risk losing even more of the audience they claim to serve.

Original article