According to a new Gallup poll, fewer than one-in-three Americans say they have a great deal or fair amount of “trust and confidence” in the mass media.
That’s the lowest point since Gallup started asking the public about trust in media in 1972. It’s been 13 years since more than half of Americans said they had trust and confidence in the media.
The decline in 2016 is the largest annual drop since 44 percent of Americans said they trusted the media in 2004, down from 54 percent in 2003.
The trend has been fueled largely by Republicans losing confidence in the media. As recently as 2002, 49 percent of Republicans trusted the media. The number has now dropped to 14 percent. About 30 percent of independents and 51 percent of Democrats say they trust the media.
Older Americans are more likely than younger Americans to trust the media, with 38 percent of those aged 50 and older trusting the media, compared to 26 percent of those between 18 and 49 years old.
Jason Russell is a commentary writer for the Washington Examiner.
