Media Polarization

The percentage who say journalists have exaggerated the risks of the outbreak has decreased notably in recent weeks.

While U.S. Democrats turn to a variety of outlets for political news, no source comes close to matching the appeal of Fox News for Republicans.

Americans turn to a wide range of media outlets for political and election news, but Fox News and CNN stand out as especially common sources.

In total, 20% of all Democrats get political news only from outlets with left-leaning audiences, while 18% of all Republicans do so only from outlets with right-leaning audiences.

Many Democrats and Republicans hold divergent views of President Donald Trump's withholding of military aid to Ukraine. But in today’s fragmented news media environment, party identification may not be the only fault line.

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.

Republicans and Democrats are particularly divided on how closely they connect made-up news to the news media or to President Trump.

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

There are partisan divisions over certain aspects of local news reporting, including whether local journalists should express views on local issues.