The survey, supplemented by nine online focus groups with 45 adults conducted from June 10-18, 2025, reveals the following key findings:
- Importance to Society: 59% of Americans say journalists are extremely or very important to the well-being of society, with an additional 31% rating them as somewhat important. Only 9% believe journalists are not too or not at all important. Focus group participants echoed this, emphasizing journalists’ role in informing the public and fostering deeper understanding of events, whether medical, political, or otherwise.
- Declining Influence: 49% of respondents believe journalists are losing influence in society, compared to just 15% who say they are gaining influence, and 36% who see no change. This perception is particularly strong among those with higher education: 62% of college-educated respondents say journalists are losing influence, compared to 48% with some college and 36% with a high school diploma or less. Focus groups noted the rise of alternative news sources, like influencers and podcasters, as contributing to this decline.
- Confidence in Journalists: Only 45% of U.S. adults have a great deal or fair amount of confidence in journalists to act in the public’s best interests, while 40% have not too much confidence, and 14% have none at all. Confidence has declined, particularly among Democrats, dropping from 70% in April 2020 to 62% in April 2025. Republicans are far less likely to express confidence and more likely to associate journalists with negative terms like “elitist” or “dishonest.”
- Defining a Journalist: Americans have varied views on who qualifies as a journalist. 79% consider those writing for newspapers or news websites as journalists, but only 65% say the same for TV reporters and 59% for radio reporters. Newer media forms, like opinion hosts or aggregators, create uncertainty about the definition, with some focus group participants referencing traditional figures like Walter Cronkite or fictional characters like Clark Kent.
- Desired Traits: Over 80% of respondents value honesty, intelligence, and authenticity in news providers, with more than 90% emphasizing the importance of deep knowledge of covered topics. Authenticity is debated, with some focus groups associating it with truthfulness, while others see it in alternative providers like podcasters rather than traditional journalists.
- Role Expectations: 90% of respondents say news providers should report accurately, and 84% believe they should correct false or misleading information from public figures. However, only 19% think news providers should definitely seek audience input, with 33% saying they probably should. Democrats are more likely than Republicans to support journalists’ watchdog roles, like correcting misinformation.