Charted: Where People Trust the Media (and Where They Don’t)

Where People Trust the Media (and Where They Don’t)

This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.

Each year, Edelman’s Trust Barometer provides an overview of how much people trust various societal institutions.

Today we focus on one public institution that the public remains widely skeptical of: the media. Below, we see the latest numbers on what share of society has confidence their country’s media institutions.

As the data shows, countries aren’t universally negative when it comes to this category. Some of Asia’s largest countries, China*, Indonesia, and India (with their combined population of over three billion), report high levels of trust in media institutions. This is in stark contrast to Japan and South Korea, where the public is more skeptical their country’s media.

Most countries saw trust in media increase slightly. Scores declined in just five countries.

The biggest change in score occurred in Argentina, where trust in government also jumped dramatically since Javier Milei took power.

*Editor’s note: Trust does not necessarily mean that a country’s media is high quality or that it has wide-ranging coverage that encourages debate. For example, trust may be high in China, but that is likely because citizens are only exposed to state media, that they have little else to compare it against.

Trust in Media: Ups and Downs

Over the past five years, there have been some notable changes in media trust.

Saudi Arabia and UAE both saw big changes, rising 15 and six percentage points, respectively.

Japan, Germany, and the United States all saw declines of five percentage points or more over the last five years. Conversely, France and South Africa both saw their media trust increase by five percentage points or more.

Russia is no longer covered in the report, but the latest data in 2022 showed just 29% trust in the media—the lowest of any country.

Why the Distrust?

There are a number of problems with the traditional media industry that are fueling distrust within society:

Partisan Bias
Partisan ownership and reporting lead to accusations of biased coverage. Many media outlets prioritize specific political agendas as a business strategy.

Declining Journalistic Standards
Sensationalism and a focus on “clickbait” over factual reporting further erodes trust. Years of shrinking revenue have left newsrooms overstretched, with thorough fact-checking becoming more rare.

Rise of Alternative Information Sources
Social media and alternative news outlets challenge the traditional media’s authority. These sources often provide differing narratives, contributing to confusion and distrust.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

If you enjoyed this post, check out Who Spends the Most Time on Social Media on Voronoi, the new app from Visual Capitalist.