A Pew Research Center survey released on June 10, 2025, highlights significant partisan differences in news source preferences and trust among Democrats and Republicans. The study, based on data from March 10-16, 2025, examined 30 major news sources and found the following:
Shared Trust: Forbes and The Wall Street Journal are the only two news sources that both Democrats and Republicans are more likely to trust than distrust. These business-oriented publications stand out as rare points of bipartisan agreement in a polarized media landscape.
Democrat Preferences: Democrats trust a broader range of sources, with 23 out of 30 sources viewed as more trustworthy than not. Notably, NPR is trusted by Democrats by a 47% to 3% margin, and PBS is trusted by 59% to 4%. Democrats also rely more on mainstream media, with 72% citing these as their main source of political news compared to 49% of Republicans.
Republican Preferences: Republicans trust fewer sources, with only eight out of 30 deemed more trustworthy than not. Fox News dominates, with 57% of Republicans regularly getting news from it and 58% expressing trust, far surpassing other outlets. However, 21% of Republicans distrust Fox News, indicating some skepticism even among conservative audiences. Joe Rogan’s podcast also ranks high among Republicans for trust, though specific figures vary.
Broadcast News: “20% of Republicans and GOP leaners regularly consume news from CNN, similar to the share of Democrats who get news from Fox News (18%).” After Fox, Republicans said they were most likely to get their news from ABC News (27%), NBC News (24%) and CBS News (22%). But, the report’s authors point out, “while roughly a quarter trust each of the major TV networks (ABC, CBS and NBC), larger shares of Republicans say they distrust the networks.”
Polarization and Distrust: The survey underscores a polarized media ecosystem. For instance, while Democrats trust NPR and PBS, Republicans distrust NPR by a margin of over two to one (more distrust than trust) and are nearly evenly split on PBS (23% trust vs. 26% distrust). Conversely, Fox News is heavily distrusted by Democrats, with far more expressing distrust than trust.
Additional Insights: Republicans are increasingly trusting of social media news, nearly matching their trust in national news outlets (37% for social media vs. slightly higher for news organizations). Democrats, however, remain more skeptical of social media sources. The study also notes that younger Republicans are more likely to use sources like The New York Times and CNN compared to older Republicans, though these remain less trusted overall.
This survey, part of Pew’s ongoing American Trends Panel, reflects a deeply divided media environment where Democrats and Republicans largely consume and trust different sources, with Forbes and The Wall Street Journal as notable exceptions. For more details, visit the Pew Research Center website.
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