A recent survey by Pew Research Center reveals insights into the trust levels that Democrats and Republicans have in various news outlets. Uniquely, both parties show more trust than distrust toward Forbes and The Wall Street Journal out of 30 news outlets evaluated.
This survey highlights the sharp political divide in media trust within the U.S., with Democrats generally trusting more news sources compared to Republicans. Indeed, out of the news organizations surveyed, Republicans were inclined to trust only eight, while Democrats expressed trust in 23. Forbes and The Wall Street Journal are the sole news sources to earn this bipartisan trust.
Fox News and the Joe Rogan podcast surfaced as the most trusted by at least 30 percent of Republican respondents. Specifically, 56% of Republicans trust Fox News, while 31% place confidence in Rogan’s podcast. In contrast, Democrats show trust levels above 30% for 13 sources, including major networks like ABC, CBS, and NBC, alongside CNN, PBS, The New York Times, and others. Notably, The Wall Street Journal stands out as trusted by both demographics.
The Joe Rogan podcast demonstrates significant discrepancies between the parties, influential particularly during the past election influenced by former President Donald Trump’s interview. While 40% of Democrats distrust the podcast, merely 3% express trust. Many Democrats claim insufficient familiarity to form an opinion.
Fox News, a mainstay in conservative media, sees contrasting perspectives with almost two-thirds of Democrats expressing distrust, compared to 19% of Democrats who trust it. Likewise, 21% of Republicans hold distrust towards Fox.
Regarding public broadcasting service PBS, the survey notes that 23% of Republicans trust PBS, with 26% showing distrust. Meanwhile, Democrats trust PBS overwhelmingly by a margin of 59% to 4%. Trump has aimed to cut funding for PBS, alleging liberal bias, while Republican opinions seem mixed according to Pew’s findings. NPR, also facing cuts, is trusted by only a minority of Republicans; the trust-to-distrust ratio stands starkly divisively, with Democrats trusting it 47% to 3%.
Elisa Shearer, a senior researcher at Pew, noted the persistent polarization in media, suggesting it’s uncertain how these dynamics might evolve. A different Pew survey earlier in the year showed an increase in Republicans’ trust in national news sources, surging to 53% from a previous 40%. Nevertheless, interpreting this change is complex, potentially linked to the onset of the Republican administration.
This specific survey involved 9,482 U.S. adults questioned in mid-March. In response to potential funding cuts, PBS argues that reducing public media funding would impair a vital service to the nation.