A new national survey on trust in news sources finds that traditional broadcast and cable television still command some of the highest levels of public confidence, despite the proliferation of digital-first platforms, streaming news services, and algorithm-driven content delivery.
YouGov’s most recent media trust survey ranked major news organizations by their net trust scores – the difference between the percentage of Americans who consider a source trustworthy and those who do not.
Among broadcast outlets, CBS and NBC each earned a +16 net trust rating, with ABC close behind at +13. These legacy television networks outperformed every U.S.-based newspaper in the survey, including The Washington Post (+7), The New York Times (+14), The Wall Street Journal (+20), and USA Today (+15). Cable news fared slightly lower, with CNBC and MSNBC at +6.
Public media also performed well, as PBS scored +25. However, the most trusted media outlet in the country wasn’t a traditional news brand at all – The Weather Channel topped the list with a +49 net trust score. ESPN, also not a traditional news source, ranked highly at +21.
Yet trust scores don’t appear to have any bearing on popularity. Despite having a net trust score of zero, Conservative-leaning Fox News remains the most-used news source in the U.S., cited by 40% of adults as a source they turned to in the past month. CNN, which had a trust score of +8, followed at 36%. All three major broadcast and cable networks – ABC, CBS, NBC – remain in the top tier for audience reach, each used by 30% or more of U.S. adults.
News preferences remain relatively consistent across age groups, with both younger (18–44) and older (45+) adults heavily relying on broadcast and cable news. However, younger Americans show greater engagement with sources like The New York Times, BBC, and MSNBC, indicating broader media habits among that demographic.
Political affiliation continues to be a strong predictor of media use. Fox News is the dominant outlet among Republicans (61%), while CNN leads among Democrats (43%). Left-leaning audiences also report high usage of MSNBC (33%) and The New York Times (31%). Independents are more evenly distributed, favoring CNN (36%), ABC (28%), and CBS (27%).
