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The Trust Gap: Rebuilding Confidence in the News

Jennifer Best

March 27, 2026

The final part in our four part series outlining what you need to know from the latest Pew Research Center Report: “Americans’ Complicated Relationship With News.”

Trust has always been an important part of journalism.

For decades, many people relied on widely-respected news organizations to help them understand what was happening in the world. Newspapers, radio broadcasts, and television news programs were often seen as trusted sources of information.

But that relationship has changed.

Today, many Americans are skeptical of the news they see. Surveys show that trust in media organizations has declined over time. According to the Pew Research Center, “57% of Americans say they have little or no confidence that journalists act in the public’s best interests”.

This growing trust gap is one of the most important challenges facing the modern news environment.

The Decline of Trust in Mass Media

Public trust in news organizations has been declining for years.

Long-term polling from Gallup shows that Americans’ trust in mass media has fallen dramatically since the 1970s. In Gallup’s 2025 survey, only 28% of Americans said they trust the mass media to report the news “fully, accurately and fairly.”

That number represents one of the lowest levels of media trust recorded in the poll’s history.

Several factors have contributed to this trend. Changes in the media industry, the rise of digital platforms, and growing political polarization have all reshaped how audiences view journalism.

The Pew Research Center notes that Americans often have mixed feelings about the news. Many people believe journalism plays an important role in daily life, but they also express concerns about bias, accuracy, and the motives of news organizations.

How Polarization Changed the News

A possible reason trust has struggled is the growing fragmentation of the media landscape.

In the past, most Americans consumed news from a relatively small number of national outlets. Today, audiences can choose from thousands of news websites, podcasts, newsletters, and social media channels.

While this diversity of voices has expanded access to information, our media is now more fragmented than ever.

Many people now follow news sources that align closely with their personal beliefs or political views. This pattern, often called selective exposure, can work just like an echo chamber and reinforce existing opinions rather than encouraging people to consider multiple perspectives.

Another factor that can deepen these divides is confirmation bias. People naturally tend to notice, believe, and remember information that supports what they already think, while dismissing information that challenges their views. Highly fragmented media consumption habits, driven by algorithms trained to show you what you want to see, can strengthen the impact of this bias, making it harder for people to accept opposing views and agree on facts.

Research from the RAND Corporation’s Truth Decay study describes how disagreement over basic facts has become more common in modern public discourse. The report identifies several trends contributing to this problem, including the rise of opinion-based content and the increasing influence of social media on how information spreads.

As RAND researchers note:

“Disagreement about facts and data has become more prominent in American public life.”

When audiences frequently encounter competing versions of the same story across different outlets, it is easy to see how trust can erode.

The Rise of Individual Credibility

As trust in large institutions has declined, many audiences have begun turning toward individuals for news and commentary.

Today, a growing number of people get information from independent journalists, content creators, podcasters, and influencers instead of traditional media outlets.

These voices build trust by connecting directly with their audiences through social media, newsletters, or video platforms.

For some people, this feels more authentic than traditional journalism.

The Edelman Trust Barometer, which studies global attitudes toward institutions, has found that people increasingly trust individuals they perceive as relatable or authentic, sometimes more than traditional institutions.

This mindset shift, which the Edelman Trust Barometer calls “insularity”, comes with some concerning risks. Their 2026 study found that “70% of participants are unwilling or hesitant to trust someone who has different values, facts, problem-solving approaches, or cultural background”. According to the Edelman CEO, the results of this shift are concerning: a resistance to change, a loss of ability to act, and a global loss of optimism.

This shift toward personality-driven trust is reshaping how information spreads online.

What Comes Next

The decline in institutional trust does not necessarily mean people no longer care about the truth. In fact, many surveys show the opposite.

People still want accurate information about the world around them. But they are often unsure which sources deserve their confidence.

According to the Pew Research Center, “many Americans say they regularly encounter news they believe is inaccurate”, and “about half say it can be difficult to determine what information is true and what is not”.

Between catchy headlines, commentary, and viral posts, evaluating credibility has become more complicated.

As a result, trust is increasingly something that must be earned and verified, rather than assumed.

This shift may ultimately change how people engage with news in the future.

Instead of relying solely on institutional reputation, people must think more critically and pay closer attention to evidence when deciding what information to trust.

And, if they want to overcome the declining public trust, media institutions and journalists must make it a priority to demonstrate their credibility in a clear and authentic way in order to rebuild trust among the public.

Conclusion

Over the last four weeks, we have seen that having access to more news than ever before comes with an abundance of new challenges. The biggest one being deciding which information deserves our trust.

Trust in journalism has declined over time, and many Americans now approach news with a mix of curiosity and skepticism. At the same time, audiences continue to seek reliable information about the issues that shape their lives.

What can people do to start reversing this decline in trust? Ask questions, challenge assumptions, do research, and look at the credibility of the source of information.

Because, in this environment, the ability to determine credibility is one of the most important tools readers have.

Staying informed is no longer just about reading the news. It’s about understanding who produced it, how it was verified, and why it should be trusted.