Americans fear news outlets are "hiding truth"
As news organizations like The Washington Post undergo significant changes to their opinion sections, our findings highlight the desire for transparency and accountability in the U.S. media ecosystem.
79% of registered voters are "very concerned" about media companies hiding or refusing to publish the truth, while 72% indicated concern about billionaire owners influencing coverage.
We've uncovered a significant perception gap: 58% of Americans are more concerned about bias in news other people consume, while only 30% worry about bias in their own sources. This gap aligns with the U.S.’s increasingly fragmented information landscape.
While 86% believe the media generally prioritizes sensationalism and generating clicks, people hold a much more favorable view of their personal news sources, with 43% believing their sources focus on honest reporting.
Trust in social media has continued to fall, with only 2% of Americans trusting Facebook "a great deal" for accurate news.
This disconnect between how we perceive "the media" vs. our own trusted sources presents both challenges and opportunities for those working in communications, journalism, and information integrity.
Interested in exploring the complete dataset with demographic breakdowns and trending data? Connect with us to learn more about accessing the Change Research Data Portal. (Link in comments)
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