For the U.S. press, the bad news is hardly news

During a time of indictments, investigations, and White House press bans, a new poll reflects a decline in freedom of the press in the United States, according to Gallup.

Gallup last week reported that the percentage of Americans who believed the U.S. press had a lot of freedom had dropped to 69 percent — down from 90 percent in 2010, and 86 percent as recently as 2022.

A sharp partisan divide emerged after 2024, according to Gallup:

In 2025, the year President Donald Trump took office for a second term, perceived media freedom fell 22 points among Democrats and five points among independents, while there was an increase among Republicans (from 83% to 93%). This year, Democrats and independents have fallen by six and seven points, respectively, while there has been little change among Republicans.

The survey results mirror a report released in April by Reporters Without Borders that indicated the U.S. had slipped to 64th in the world regarding press freedoms.

According to the group:

The United States has fallen seven places to 64th, as President Trump has turned his hostility towards the press into what RSF describes as systematic policy. The detention and deportation of Salvadoran journalist Mario Guevara, combined with sweeping cuts to the US Agency for Global Media, have had ripple effects far beyond American borders, leading to the effective closure or scaling back of international broadcasters outlets such as Voice of America, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Radio Free Asia.

A glimmer of hope — perhaps a surprise — was another Gallup survey showing an increase in trust of the press among Republicans.

According to Gallup:

Nearly all of the improvement in media trust this year reflects an uptick among Republicans. Twenty-two percent now express confidence in the media, up from a record-low 8% last year and the highest Republican reading since 2015. Democrats’ confidence is essentially steady at 50%, versus 51% last year, while independents’ is also statistically unchanged, at 31%.

Although Republicans have regained some confidence in the media, the wide partisan gap seen since 2004 persists, with Democrats continuing to express at least twice as much trust as Republicans.

 

Gallup: U.S. Media Freedom: Perceptions Hit New Low

Reporters Without Borders: Press Freedom at its Lowest Point in 25 Years

Gallup: U.S. Media Trust: Edges Up From Record Low

The Hill: Media trust increase driven by Republicans: Gallup

Reliable Sources (CNN): Trust in media is rising — yes, you read that right