Readers Put More Trust in Local News Products Than National, Study Says

• by Ray Schultz , Yesterday

Americans have a dismal view of the national news media.  

Only 26% have a favorable opinion, and 53% have an unfavorable one, according to American Views 2022: Part 2, a Gallup/Knight Foundation study released last week.  

And while 72% say national news organizations have the resources to report accurately, only 35% believe they are delivering information readers need. 

Perhaps worse, while 35% feel national news providers care about the impact of their reporting on American society, only 23% believe they have the best interests of their audience at heart.  

Local news providers fare better: 44% have high trust in them, while 31% have moderate trust and 18% have low trust. And 8% have no opinion.  

What’s more, 53% agree that local news providers care about how their reporting affects the community, and 52% believe these outlets deliver the information they need. 

In contrast, 21% have high trust in national news organizations, while 33% have moderate trust, 41% have low trust and 5% have no opinion.  

Why this lack of trust? For one thing, 44% of readers see a great deal of political bias in news coverage, up from 45% in 2019-2020 and 45% in 2017. And, 34% see a fair amount of bias, the new survey found. 

Perhaps most alarmingly, 62% of political independents see a great deal of bias -- a 12% leap from 2019-2020. Meanwhile, 33% of Democrats see a great deal of bias versus 27% in 2019-2020 and 26% in 2017.  

Of those who get most of their news online, 47% have low emotional trust in national news organizations, versus 15% who have high trust.  

The results are based on a Gallup survey of 5,593 Americans conducted between May 31 and July 21, 2022.