The Most Trusted News Sources in America: Insights from YouGov’s 2023 Trust in Media Poll
In today's media landscape, it's often difficult to determine which news sources are trustworthy. With the proliferation of digital, broadcast, print, and social media outlets, it can be challenging to know which ones to turn to for accurate information. To get a better understanding of Americans' trust in the media, The Economist/YouGov conducted a poll in April 2023, asking Americans about their trust levels for 56 different news outlets.
Based on the results of the 2023 Trust in Media Poll, it appears that The Weather Channel still reigns as the most reliable news source among Americans. A significant majority of Americans consider the channel to be trustworthy, with a whopping 53-point gap between those who trust it and those who don't. Interestingly, The Weather Channel stands out as the only news outlet that both Democrats and Republicans trust more than they distrust. In fact, the level of trust is particularly high among Democrats, who are 64 points more likely to trust the channel than to distrust it. For Republicans, The Weather Channel is one of only two news sources that a majority of them trust, with the other one being Fox News. Among Republicans, 56 percent consider Fox News to be trustworthy, resulting in a net trust score of +41.
Although The Weather Channel is the most trusted news source in the United States, there are several other reputable outlets that are also highly regarded. The national public broadcaster PBS, the U.K. news outlet BBC, and The Wall Street Journal are all ranked closely behind The Weather Channel in terms of national trust. Additionally, Forbes, the Associated Press, ABC, USA Today, CBS, and Reuters are among the news sources that Americans trust more than they distrust.
The 2023 Trust in Media Poll uncovered that Americans' perceptions of media sources are significantly influenced by political polarization. CNN emerges as the most politically polarizing news outlet, with a vast 92-point contrast between Democrats' net trust (+55) and Republicans' net trust (-37). MSNBC and The New York Times also experience a similar discrepancy in trust levels, with Democrats trusting them more than Republicans, showing a 91-point and 82-point difference, respectively.
However, despite the political divide in trust levels, all 22 media outlets that were surveyed in both the 2023 and 2022 polls experienced an increase in net trust. USA Today, TIME Magazine, Fox News, MSNBC, and ABC witnessed the most substantial upsurge in trust.
It's important to note that poll results can differ significantly depending on the methodology used and when the poll is conducted. The Trust in Media Poll was conducted with YouGov's latest methodology for measuring trust in media outlets and is based on opinion as of April 2023. The other poll cited by Fox News was from YouGov Profiles, an audience identification tool that combines data collected over an extended period from multiple sources.
Alan Herrera is the Editorial Supervisor for the Association of Foreign Press Correspondents (AFPC-USA), where he oversees the organization’s media platform, foreignpress.org. He previously served as AFPC-USA’s General Secretary from 2019 to 2021 and as its Treasurer until early 2022.
Alan is an editor and reporter who has worked on interviews with such individuals as former White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci; Maria Fernanda Espinosa, the former President of the United Nations General Assembly; and Mariangela Zappia, the former Permanent Representative to Italy for the U.N. and current Italian Ambassador to the United States.
Alan has spent his career managing teams as well as commissioning, writing, and editing pieces on subjects like sustainable trade, financial markets, climate change, artificial intelligence, threats to the global information environment, and domestic and international politics. Alan began his career writing film criticism for fun and later worked as the Editor on the content team for Star Trek actor and activist George Takei, where he oversaw the writing team and championed progressive policy initatives, with a particular focus on LGBTQ+ rights advocacy.