Six-in-ten Americans have low confidence in national journalists
Core finding
In a Verasight survey of 1,000 U.S. adults conducted March 6 to 16, 2026, 61% of Americans said they have not too much or no confidence in journalists who work for national news outlets to act in the best interests of the public. This includes 37% who said not too much and 24% who said no confidence at all.
About four-in-ten said they have at least a fair amount of confidence in national journalists (39%), with 33% who said a fair amount and 7% who said a great deal.
Topline scale
61% of Americans say they lack confidence in national journalists to act in the public's interest.
How much confidence, if any, do you have in journalists who work for national news outlets to act in the best interests of the public?
n = 1,000 · Mar 6–16, 2026 · MoE ±3.5%
Methodology
Full methodology →| Mode | Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting |
|---|---|
| Population | US adults age 18+ |
| Field dates | Mar 6–16, 2026 |
| Base (unweighted) | 1,000 |
| Margin of error | ±3.5% |
| Module | Module 5: Health, Community, & Personal Values |
| Sponsor | Verasight |
| Weight variable | weight |
| Weighting targets | age, race/ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, metropolitan status |
Sources
- reports.verasight.io/r/omnibus-2026-044
How much confidence, if any, do you have in journalists who work for national news outlets to act in the best interests of the public?
Cite this question
Verasight Client Omnibus Survey #2026-044, fielded March 6-16, 2026, N=1,000 US adults age 18+, +/- 3.5%.