The number of independents who trust what they read in the news has jumped 8 points since November, according to a Hill-HarrisX poll released on Thursday.
The nationwide survey showed that the number of respondents who believe most news stories but do not trust certain sources increased from 36 percent to 44 percent, compared to the Nov. 8-9 survey.
The poll also found an increase in trust among Democrats and Republicans alike: 28 percent of Republican respondents said they believe news stories for the most part, which marks a four-point increase, while 53 percent of Democrats said the same, representing a one-point uptick.
Overall, the number of voters who said they largely trust the news media remained virtually unchanged. Forty-one percent of respondents said they believe news stories on the whole.
The upswing comes amid a general decline in trust in the mainstream media.
According to a Gallup poll released in September, 41 percent of Americans said they had a “great deal” or “fair amount” of trust in newspapers, television and radio to report the news “fully, accurately and fairly.” This represented a four-point drop since 2018.
This could be reflective of a larger distrust in U.S. institutions in general; according to Pew Reach Center, 69 percent of Americans say the federal government withholds important and useful information to the public, while 61 percent said the news media intentionally ignores stories that are important to the public.
President Trump has repeatedly attacked institutions such as the media and its coverage of the Democratic-led impeachment inquiry. The House earlier this month impeached Trump on two counts: abuse of power and obstruction of justice. A Senate trial is slated to begin in January, though Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has decided to withhold the articles of impeachment until the upper chamber determines its rules.
The Hill-HarrisX survey was conducted among 1,000 registered voters across the country between Dec. 13-14. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.
— Tess Bonn
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