Public trust in media is declining, even junk polls can’t hide it.

David HarsanyiMay 9, 2023

Americans Distrust Conservative Journalists, According to Economist/YouGov Poll

A new poll conducted by Economist/YouGov has revealed that Americans have a lack of trust in conservative journalists. The poll measured public trust in 22 of the most prominent media organizations in the country, and the results have been making the rounds.

Fox News Ranks Last in Trust Among Major Broadcast Outlets

According to Aaron Blake of the Washington Post, Fox News ranks last in trust among major broadcast outlets. Despite being the only major right-leaning news outlet on television, Fox News is the only outlet in the poll that a majority of Republicans trust, at 56 percent. However, Fox News only earns a +3 score on the poll’s rankings because YouGov slots all outlets by the differential in the percentage of respondents who find it trustworthy and untrustworthy.

Does +/- Matter?

It’s clear that the poll doesn’t really measure for “trust” in the sense of reliability, impartiality, or truthfulness. In contemporary politics, “trust” is another way of saying confirmation bias. One of the most trusted television outlets among Democrats is CNN, despite its appalling journalistic record over the past decade.

Four Major Flaws in the Poll

The poll has four major flaws: the ranking formula is misleading, it doesn’t define “trust,” the respondents probably don’t watch/read most outlets they’re being asked about, and the number of people polled is incredibly small. About the only thing the poll confirms is that trust in media has cratered and that conservatives and independents are increasingly distrustful of all media outlets, while Democrats remain loyal to left-wing outlets no matter how unreliable.

About the Author

David Harsanyi is a senior editor at The Federalist, a nationally syndicated columnist, a Happy Warrior columnist at National Review, and author of five books. Follow him on Twitter, @davidharsanyi.