SLICE NEWS REPORT CARD: Trust in mainstream news declines in a partisan and age split

SUMMARY: A recent Pew Research survey shows American trust in national news sources has fallen sharply across age groups, with less than 60% of adults expressing confidence in mainstream outlets. The decline in interest is reflected in the approach and delivery of traditional media. News consumers are relying more on social media for news content across all ages. This shift is driven by a dramatic difference in how young adults get news. Traditional media must find ways to navigate the changes or risk being overshadowed..

Trust in American news media continues to erode, and the latest numbers show just how deep the shift has become. Today, only 56% of U.S. adults say they have a lot or some trust in national news organizations—an 11‑point drop since March 2025 and a full 20‑point decline since 2016. Local news still fares better, with 70% expressing at least some trust, but even that number has slipped from 80% last spring and 82% a decade ago. Young adults under the age of 30 consume the least amount of new according to the findings.

These declines aren’t happening in a vacuum. They reflect a media landscape transformed by the 21st century—and no group illustrates that transformation more clearly than young adults. Americans under 30 are redefining how information moves, how credibility is judged, and what “news” even looks like. Their habits offer a preview of the next era of journalism: decentralized, personality‑driven, mobile‑first, and deeply shaped by social platforms. (See the Young Adults and the Future of News essay and the Pew‑Knight Initiative for deeper context.)

The political divide is widening as well. Fewer than half of Republicans and Republican‑leaning independents—44%—now say they have at least some trust in national news outlets. That’s down from 53% in March and 70% in 2016, though still above the 2021 low point of 35%. The partisan gap in media trust is becoming a defining feature of the information ecosystem.

What This Signals for the Future of News

So why are American losing faith in traditional news? Here’s the real story behind the numbers:

1. Trustworthiness is a product.

Audiences aren’t giving institutions the benefit of the doubt. Newsrooms will have to earn trust repeatedly through transparency, speed, accuracy, and authenticity.

2. Local news has an opening—but also a warning.

Local outlets still hold more credibility, but the downward trend suggests they’re not immune. Whoever fills the local‑information gap—newsrooms, creators, or community platforms—will shape civic life for the next generation.

3. Young adults are the bellwether.

Their behavior points to a future where:

• News is consumed in short bursts

• Personality and relatability matter as much as institutional authority

• Verification happens socially, not institutionally

• Mobile video becomes the dominant format

If newsrooms don’t adapt, young audiences will simply disengage.

4. The partisan trust gap will define coverage and distribution.

As trust fractures along political lines, national outlets face a challenge: how to report aggressively without being dismissed as partisan actors. Meanwhile, alternative media ecosystems—some credible, some not—will continue to grow.

The future belongs to outlets that combine journalistic standards with modern delivery.