Washington, D.C. – A significant shift in how Americans perceive and trust information from news organizations and social media platforms has occurred over the past year, according to a new survey published by the Pew Research Center on May 8, 2025. The study reveals that U.S. adults are now more likely to express trust in these sources compared to a year ago.
Understanding the Shift
The increase in overall trust is largely driven by a notable surge among Republicans and Republican-leaning independents. This upward trend coincides with President Donald Trump’s return to the White House. Prior to this period, Republican trust in national news media, specifically, had experienced a decline between 2016 and 2024. The latest findings mark a reversal of that trend, indicating a dynamic evolution in partisan attitudes towards media consumption and credibility.
Key Areas of Republican Trust Growth
Republicans have demonstrated substantially increased trust in information from several key sources since the previous year:
Local news outlets have seen a significant rise in Republican confidence. Currently, 75% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents report trusting information from local news outlets at least somewhat, a marked increase from 66% recorded a year prior. This represents a 9-point increase in trust for local news within this demographic.
Trust in social media sites has also climbed notably among Republicans. The survey indicates that 45% of Republicans now trust information from social media, up from 37% in the previous year. This constitutes an 8-point increase year-over-year. The findings also highlight a steady rise in Republican trust in social media since 2021, when only 19% reported trusting these platforms at least somewhat.
Confidence in national news organizations has also seen a substantial rebound among Republicans and Republican-leaning independents. Approximately half, 53%, now report having at least some trust in information from national news outlets. This figure represents a significant 13 percentage point increase from 40% recorded just months earlier, in September 2024.
Trust Across Demographics
Beyond partisan shifts, the survey identified increases in trust in national news organizations across several older demographic groups:
Among U.S. adults aged 65 and older, 74% now trust national news a lot or some, up from 61% in 2024. This is a considerable increase for this age cohort.
The 50-64 age group also showed an increase, with 68% now expressing trust, compared to 62% in 2024.
Adults aged 30-49 saw their trust levels in national news rise from 57% in 2024 to 66% currently.
The survey also noted that six-in-ten adults under 30 also trust information from national news organizations.
Survey Methodology
The findings are based on data collected by the Pew Research Center through a rigorously designed survey. The methodology involved weighting the data to accurately represent the U.S. adult population. This weighting process accounted for various demographic and political factors, including gender, race, ethnicity, partisan affiliation, and education, to ensure the results provide a reliable snapshot of national attitudes.
Conclusion
The May 8, 2025, Pew Research Center survey paints a clear picture of evolving media trust in the United States. The data underscores a significant increase in trust for both traditional news outlets and social media platforms, a trend predominantly propelled by a sharp rise in confidence among Republicans since 2024. This shift, occurring concurrently with the return of President Donald Trump, marks a notable change in the landscape of partisan media trust, diverging from patterns observed in the preceding years and highlighting the dynamic relationship between political events and public perception of information sources.
