Americans’ trust in the media has plunged to its lowest-ever level, according to the latest Gallup poll[1], with just 28% of U.S. adults expressing a “great deal” or “fair amount” of confidence in newspapers, television, and radio to report news fully, accurately, and fairly. This figure marks a steep decline from last year’s already historic low of 31%, and continues a nearly five-decade slide from the high of 68% recorded in 1972. Just five years ago, it was at 40%.
The Gallup data[2], gathered in September 2025, shows that skepticism toward the media now cuts across all ages and political lines, with trust levels for every demographic at record lows. Some 70% of U.S. adults report having “not very much” confidence (36%) or “none at all” (34%) in media organizations, signifying a crisis in legitimacy and relevance for the nation’s fourth estate.
Gallup notes that media trust remained just above 50% until dropping to 44% in 2004, and it hasn’t gotten back above majority level since. Confidence notably collapsed[3] during the divisive 2016 presidential campaign, the polling service says, with the highest reading in the past decade being 45% in 2018[4]. This year’s reading is the first time it ever dropped below 30%.
Partisan and generational gaps
Trust in the media is especially low among Republicans, with only 8% reporting confidence in news outlets—marking the first time Gallup has recorded single-digit trust in this group. (Republicans are especially distrustful, not rising above 21% since 2015.) Among Democrats, media trust stands at 51%, down sharply from its peak of 76% in 2018 and matching the low from 2016. Independents register at just 27%, matching last year’s historic low.
Generational divides are stark as well. While 43% of those age 65 and older trust the media, younger adults—the Gen Z and millennial cohorts, or those ages 18 to 29 and 30 to 49—report historic lows, with fewer than 30% expressing confidence in the news. In fact, Gen Z’s 28% trust level is exceeded by millennials, with only 23% having confidence in what they see, hear, and read. Media trust among those ages 50 to 64 also sits at 28%. The same pattern of relatively trusting Democrats and incredibly distrustful Republicans holds, with the least trusting cohort of all being millennial Republicans, Gallup finds: only 6%.
Looking ahead, Gallup is pessimistic about a recovery. “Given younger Democrats’ relatively low confidence in the media,” the polling firm says, “overall trust could decrease further in the future, unless Republican trust rebounds. With confidence fractured along partisan and generational lines, the challenge for news organizations is not only to deliver fair and accurate reporting but also to regain credibility across an increasingly polarized and skeptical public.”
Update: Oct. 2, 2025: This article has been updated to correct the headline to a collapse of 40 percentage points since 1972.
References
- ^ according to the latest Gallup poll (news.gallup.com)
- ^ The Gallup data (news.gallup.com)
- ^ Confidence notably collapsed (news.gallup.com)
- ^ 45% in 2018 (news.gallup.com)
- ^ Apply for an invitation. (conferences.fortune.com)