Mason Walker

As the U.S. enters a heated 2020 presidential election year, Republicans and Democrats place their trust in two nearly inverse news media environments.

An exploration of more than 50 Pew Research Center surveys confirms the overwhelming impact party identification has on Americans’ trust in the news media. And divides emerge within party – particularly the Republican Party – based on how strongly people approve of Trump.

Roughly six-in-ten U.S. adults often get news on a mobile device, compared with 30% who often do so on a desktop or laptop computer.

While few Americans pay for local news, some people are more likely to do so than others – and most believe their local news outlets are doing well financially.

Republicans largely say fact-checking by news outlets and other organizations favors one side. Democrats mostly think it is fair to all sides.

Politicians viewed as major creators of it, but journalists seen as the ones who should fix it

France stands out from other Western European countries for its broad discontent toward the news media. About a third of adults say they trust the news media, including just 4% who say they have a lot of trust

Younger adults in eight Western European countries are about twice as likely as older adults to get news online than from TV. They also are more critical of the media's performance and coverage of key issues.

Across eight Western European countries, people with populist leanings have more negative attitudes about the news media than do those with non-populist views.