Report · Health

A slim majority of Americans have confidence in local journalists

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In a Verasight survey of 1,000 U.S. adults conducted March 6 to 16, 2026, 56% of Americans said they have at least a fair amount of confidence in journalists who work for local news outlets to act in the best interests of the public. Including 45% who said a fair amount and 11% who said a great deal.

About four-in-ten said they have not too much or no confidence in local journalists (44%), with 28% who said not too much and 16% who said no confidence at all.

Topline

response scale

Topline scale

56% of Americans have at least a fair amount of confidence in local journalists.

How much confidence, if any, do you have in journalists who work for local news outlets to act in the best interests of the public?

  • A fair amount of confidence 45.0%
  • Not too much confidence 28.4%
  • No confidence at all 16.0%
  • A great deal of confidence 10.7%

2026 · base n 1,000 · +/- 3.5%

Module 5: Health, Community, & Personal Values

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Methodology

Full methodology
Mode
Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting
Field dates
2026-03-06 → 2026-03-16
Base (unweighted)
1,000
Margin of error
+/- 3.5%
Module
Module 5: Health, Community, & Personal Values

Source

Citation

Verasight Client Omnibus Survey #2026-044, fielded March 6-16, 2026, N=1,000 US adults age 18+, +/- 3.5%.

https://reports.verasight.io/reports/omnibus-2026-044#q-5-18

Verasight survey methodology

How Verasight conducts surveys.

This page describes the Verasight general survey contract, separate from how the Data Library packages it. Each wave's specific field dates, sample sizes, and module breakdown are listed in that wave's report.

Mode
Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting.
Population
US adults age 18+.
Sample design
Surveys are run as omnibus or single-topic waves. Omnibus waves are split into modules with their own respondent set, typically around one thousand respondents per module.
Field window
Each wave specifies its own field dates. Most omnibus waves field across roughly two weeks.
Weighting
Per-module weighting to CPS targets including age, race and ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, and metropolitan status.
Partisanship benchmark
Pew Research Center's NPORS benchmarking surveys, three-year running average.
Vote benchmark
2024 presidential vote population benchmarks.
Margin of error
Typically about plus or minus 3.4 to 3.6 percent per module at standard module sizes. Question-level MoE is recomputed when a base shrinks materially below the module baseline.
Reporting
Every wave is published as a standalone report at verasight.io/reports with full instrument and methodology.
Transparency
AAPOR transparency standards.

Wave-specific methodology, full weighting variable lists, and verbatim instrument text live in each report at verasight.io/reports.