(Just The News) Americans do not trust several major U.S. institutions, including the national news media.
The recently released Center Square Voters’ Voice poll found that 43% of Americans say the media is trustworthy, compared with 54% who said it is not trustworthy.
Younger people were more likely to trust the media, with 47% of those ages 18-34 saying they trust it and 46% saying the opposite.
The numbers steadily worsen as likely voters get older, with 41% of likely voters 65-years-old and older saying they trust the media, compared to 57% who do not.
With the presidential election coming in November, the poll also asked voters how confident they feel about the following statement: “The media will report on the issues that matter most to you.” Only 42% said they were confident that was the case, while 54% said they were not confident.
When asked whether the “media will cover all candidates fairly,” only 31% were confident the media would do so while 65% were not confident.
Only 36% of likely voters were confident the “media will provide enough context for voters to understand their choices” while 60% were not.
Democrats were far more likely to trust the national news media, 63%-33%. Only 24% of Republicans said they trust the media while 73% do not. Independents agreed, 35%-59%, on the same question.
Republicans have been more skeptical of the media for years, but former President Donald Trump famously called the media “the enemy of the people” and “fake news,” making the relationship between Republicans and the media far more adversarial.
