Overall annual series 1972–2025 comes from [Gallup’s historical trends](https://news.gallup.com/poll/1663/media-use-evaluation.aspx) page. Annual partisan series 1997–2025 comes from each year’s individual Gallup release, stitched together.
The thing I really hate it that they’ve poisoned media so much that I think I might have to say no. Does ‘media’ include foxworld?
mcc9902 on
Understandable. When you have to dig through multiple sources and compare and contrast to figure out the majority of the picture it’s surprising that anyone can trust it at all.
I do have to wonder why exactly jump in the 2015-2016 occured like it did. Does anyone have any ideas because I’m drawing a blank. I doubt it was just because we came up with the term fake news.
Edit: to be clear, Trump would explain the Republican side but I can’t really see how that would impact the Democrats side here. Of course I’m say this as someone who’s been distrustful of the media since 2001 so feel free to correct me if I’m wrong.
TrynnaFindaBalance on
What was the actual question? I’d imagine reasons for “lack of trust” vary pretty widely among different ages and partisan leanings.
5 Comments
Submission Statement:
Used matplotlib and data from the below sources to create graphic.
Gallup Poll Social Series, the [September 2–16, 2025 Governance survey](https://news.gallup.com/file/poll/695888/2025_10_02%20Trust%20in%20Media%20Topline%20and%20Tabs.pdf). Q14: “In general, how much trust and confidence do you have in the mass media…” Combined “great deal” + “fair amount” responses.
Overall annual series 1972–2025 comes from [Gallup’s historical trends](https://news.gallup.com/poll/1663/media-use-evaluation.aspx) page. Annual partisan series 1997–2025 comes from each year’s individual Gallup release, stitched together.
The age-by-party cells shown in the bottom row are Gallup’s 2023–2025 aggregate. Democrats published verbatim in the [Oct 2, 2025 release](https://news.gallup.com/poll/695762/trust-media-new-low.aspx); Republican and Independent cells [transcribed from Gallup’s tabs by Ray Schultz at MediaPost](https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/409620/roughing-up-the-media-trust-has-fallen-to-an-all-.html) on release day. The cells reconcile to Gallup’s published overall-by-age aggregate.
Republicans don’t count Fox News as media?
The thing I really hate it that they’ve poisoned media so much that I think I might have to say no. Does ‘media’ include foxworld?
Understandable. When you have to dig through multiple sources and compare and contrast to figure out the majority of the picture it’s surprising that anyone can trust it at all.
I do have to wonder why exactly jump in the 2015-2016 occured like it did. Does anyone have any ideas because I’m drawing a blank. I doubt it was just because we came up with the term fake news.
Edit: to be clear, Trump would explain the Republican side but I can’t really see how that would impact the Democrats side here. Of course I’m say this as someone who’s been distrustful of the media since 2001 so feel free to correct me if I’m wrong.
What was the actual question? I’d imagine reasons for “lack of trust” vary pretty widely among different ages and partisan leanings.