Editorial / Journalism

Why Americans Trust Local Journalism?

A Knight Foundation/Gallup report about factors contributing to Americans’ trust in the media has answers.

The new report, “American Views: Trust, Media and Democracy, Part 2, shows that the level of confidence is driven by perceptions of news organizations’ accuracy, bias and transparency. Additionally, the report explores the disconnect between newsrooms’ efforts to rebuild trust and the continued decline of confidence by posing questions that distinguish between the practical and emotional dimensions of trust.

“Emotional trust” in news organizations is linked to whether people want to pay to receive news coverage and to how they feel in general about the state of American democracy.

“This data offers further evidence that sustainable journalism begins and ends with trust,” said Knight Foundation President Alberto Ibargüen. “We believe a citizenry that trusts the news is more informed, more engaged and better prepared to participate meaningfully in our democracy.”

Local News

The new survey of about 5,600 Americans demonstrates that more than twice as many Americans have higher emotional trust in local news than in national news.

A special election was called for February 27 for the City of Miami Commission, District 2. Downtown News in partnership with other local stakeholders organized a Canidates Forum, which featured questions received from Downtown residents. District 2 includes Downtown Miami.

National News Organizations

Americans believe journalists working for national news organizations are competent but are concerned about their intentions and see local news organizations as caring more about the impact of their reporting. They also believe that the increased amount of available information makes it harder for them to be well-informed and, for those that rely on digital platforms rather than television or print, trust in the media overall is lower.

The Tangible Cost of Low Emotional Trust in News

• Forty-four percent of Americans have high emotional trust in local news organizations, compared with 21% who have high emotional trust in national news organizations.
• Higher emotional trust in local news is related to a higher likelihood of having paid for news and willingness to do so in the future.
• Importantly, when Americans perceive that local news organizations do not have the resources to report the news accurately and fairly, they are more likely to say they would consider paying for news in the future.

Few Americans have favorable opinions of the media, the lowest level on record

• Only 26% of Americans have a favorable opinion of the news media, the lowest level since Gallup and Knight began tracking in 2017.
• More than half (53%) of the country holds an unfavorable opinion — down slightly from record highs in 2020 but still well ahead of the figures from 2017.
• While opinions of the news media deteriorated across the political spectrum, Fox News viewers (predominantly Republicans) are significantly more likely to have low emotional trust in national news overall, when compared to MSNBC and CNN viewers.

The Local Perspective

From Downtown News archives, top row, left to right: Miami Dade College, the Downtown Wolfson Campus, receives funds to expand tech education, here for the photo-op city and county mayors; crossing certain Downtown streets can be dangerous to one’s health; hotspots for crime. Middle row: Community activism, demanding beat cops to Chief of Police; Public transportation in the Central Business District; Biscayne Bay’s fauna. Lower row: Bayside Marketplace, a Downtown landmark; Downtown is South Florida’s cultural epicenter, here Broadway in Miami at the Arsht Center for the Performing Arts; and Downtown is becoming a culinary destination, here at the elegant Brasserie Laurel, Miami Worldcenter.

Knight’s Trust, Media and Democracy

The initiative seeks to inform the public dialogue on how to close the trust deficit and strengthen independent news sources that are vital to informed and engaged communities. You can read the full report (attached) and learn more about the Gallup/Knight work in media, trust and democracy here.

The study was conducted as part of Knight Foundation’s belief that a strong Fourth Estate is paramount to a thriving democracy.

2023 Knight Media Forum

Democracy has always relied on independent journalism to provide citizens with accurate information and to hold the powerful accountable. Yet, several forces pose significant challenges to that effort, including the financial difficulties faced by many news organizations and a broad distrust of news among the public.

Recent trends have offered reasons to think that we’re on the cusp of an upswing — and trust in local news has remained far stronger than in national news. But there’s a long road ahead. Join the 2023 Knight Media Forum, the premier annual event for leaders in philanthropy, journalism and technology. Learn from leading thinkers and practitioners, and foster efforts to strengthen, scale and sustain informed and engaged communities.

REGISTER FOR VIRTUAL ATTENDANCE, FEBRUARY 22–23

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