Republicans are increasingly relying on social media platforms, while Democrats’ confidence in these sources wanes, according to a new YouGov survey.
A widening partisan gap in how Americans consume and trust news is emerging, with new polling showing Republicans increasingly turning to social media platforms such as X and Truth Social, while Democrats grow more sceptical of the same channels.
A YouGov survey released this week highlights the deepening divide. While television remains a major source of news across the political spectrum, social media now plays a central role for many, particularly among Republicans. Nearly half of all respondents said they also rely on friends and family for news, a shift that suggests a growing preference for personal networks over traditional outlets.
But trust in those platforms remains low. Most social media sites were viewed negatively by respondents across the board, with the notable exceptions of YouTube and LinkedIn, which achieved net positive trust scores. X, formerly Twitter, drew sharply divergent reactions, viewed as relatively trustworthy by Republicans but increasingly distrusted by Democrats. The shift follows Elon Musk’s controversial takeover of the platform.
CNN, MSNBC, and Fox News are the most polarising outlets. According to YouGov, net trust in CNN is 80 points higher among Democrats than among Republicans, and net trust in MSNBC is 77 points higher. Net trust in Fox News is 76 points higher among Republicans than among Democrats.
The divide is reinforced by separate data from the Pew Research Center, which found that trust in national news outlets has increased by 13 percentage points among Republicans in the past year, rising from 40% to 53%. Democrats continue to report higher trust overall – 81% for national and 87% for local news organisations – but their confidence in social platforms is in decline.
These developments pose a growing challenge for newsrooms trying to reach both sides of the political aisle. As Republicans place more faith in both traditional and social news sources, and Democrats withdraw from platforms they once relied on, the battle for attention and credibility becomes more complex.
The polling also reveals a shared concern across party lines: both Democrats and Republicans say it is harder to distinguish news from opinion on social media than in traditional news outlets. The blurred boundaries are fuelling confusion and mistrust, particularly during a volatile political cycle.
Source: Noah Wire Services
- https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2025/05/30/social-media-news-trust-polling/?pwapi_token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJyZWFzb24iOiJnaWZ0IiwibmJmIjoxNzQ4NzUwNDAwLCJpc3MiOiJzdWJzY3JpcHRpb25zIiwiZXhwIjoxNzUwMTMyNzk5LCJpYXQiOjE3NDg3NTA0MDAsImp0aSI6ImUzOGU2NDlmLWM3ODctNDE0OS1iMzhhLTcwYWNjZGMyYThkNCIsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lndhc2hpbmd0b25wb3N0LmNvbS9vcGluaW9ucy8yMDI1LzA1LzMwL3NvY2lhbC1tZWRpYS1uZXdzLXRydXN0LXBvbGxpbmcvIn0.BcwDTfdlOC0lKrk0vxHDyK2No4g3DNFFthdbn5KUQLY&itid=gfta – Please view link – unable to able to access data
- https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/05/08/republicans-have-become-more-likely-since-2024-to-trust-information-from-news-outlets-social-media/ – A Pew Research Center survey from May 2025 reveals that Republicans have become more likely to trust information from news organizations and social media sites compared to the previous year. The survey indicates a 13 percentage point increase in trust among Republicans for national news organizations, rising from 40% in September 2024 to 53% in March 2025. Trust in local news outlets and social media sites also saw increases among Republicans. Despite these gains, Democrats continue to exhibit higher trust levels in national news organizations and local news outlets, with 81% and 87% respectively expressing at least some trust.
- https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/10/16/republicans-young-adults-now-nearly-as-likely-to-trust-info-from-social-media-as-from-national-news-outlets/ – A Pew Research Center survey from October 2024 indicates that Republicans are now nearly as likely to trust information from social media sites as they are to trust information from national news organizations. Specifically, 37% of Republicans express trust in social media, closely matching the 40% who trust national news outlets. This shift marks a significant change from 2016, when trust in national news organizations was 30 percentage points higher than trust in social media among Republicans. The survey also highlights that 66% of Republicans have at least some trust in information from local news organizations.
- https://www.statista.com/chart/33412/share-of-respondents-who-have-some-a-lot-of-trust-in-information-found-on-social-media-and-national-news/ – A Statista chart based on Pew Research Center data illustrates the trust levels Americans have in information from social media and national news organizations. The chart shows that 38% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents have at least some trust in social media information, while 78% trust national news organizations. Among Republicans and Republican-leaning independents, 45% trust social media information, and 53% trust national news organizations. The chart also highlights that local news organizations are generally trusted more across the political spectrum, with 66% of Republicans and 83% of Democrats expressing trust in local news sources.
- https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/2020/01/29/an-oasis-of-bipartisanship-republicans-and-democrats-distrust-social-media-sites-for-political-and-election-news/ – A Pew Research Center report from January 2020 reveals that both Republicans and Democrats express significant distrust in social media sites as sources of political and election news. The report indicates that 59% of U.S. adults distrust Facebook, 48% distrust Twitter, and 42% distrust Instagram. This distrust is consistent across party lines, with similar percentages of Republicans and Democrats expressing distrust in these platforms. The report underscores the bipartisan concern regarding the credibility of social media as a source of political information.
- https://americanpressinstitute.org/republicans-democrats-trust-understand-media/ – An American Press Institute report examines how Republicans and Democrats trust and understand the news media. The report finds that Democrats are more likely than Republicans to find it easy to distinguish opinion from news in various news sources, including their preferred sources, local TV news, and broadcast TV news. However, both parties agree that it is difficult to distinguish news from opinion on social media platforms, with fewer than half saying it is easy. The report highlights the challenges both parties face in navigating the media landscape and discerning factual information.
- https://gvwire.com/2025/05/08/republicans-trust-in-media-increases-following-trumps-return-to-white-house/ – A GV Wire article from May 2025 discusses the increase in Republicans’ trust in media following President Trump’s return to the White House. The article highlights that 81% of Democrats trust national news outlets, a figure that has remained relatively stable over the past decade. Local news continues to have higher trust levels across the political spectrum, with 75% of Republicans and 87% of Democrats expressing confidence in these sources. The article also notes that conservative Republicans are less likely than moderate or liberal Republicans to trust information from national news media, with 49% expressing trust compared to 61% of moderates or liberals within the party.
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
9
Notes:
The narrative presents recent polling data from YouGov and Pew Research Center, dated May 2025, indicating a significant shift in American media consumption and trust. The earliest known publication date of similar content is May 8, 2025, from Pew Research Center, reporting a 13-percentage-point increase in Republicans’ trust in national news organizations since September 2024. ([pewresearch.org](https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/05/08/republicans-have-become-more-likely-since-2024-to-trust-information-from-news-outlets-social-media/?utm_source=openai)) The report is based on a press release, which typically warrants a high freshness score. No discrepancies in figures, dates, or quotes were found. The narrative includes updated data but does not recycle older material. No content similar to this has appeared more than 7 days earlier. Therefore, the freshness score is high.
Quotes check
Score:
10
Notes:
The narrative does not contain direct quotes. The information is paraphrased from recent surveys and reports, with no identical quotes found in earlier material. Therefore, the quotes check score is excellent.
Source reliability
Score:
10
Notes:
The narrative originates from The Washington Post, a reputable organization known for its journalistic standards. The data cited is from YouGov and Pew Research Center, both reputable sources. Therefore, the source reliability score is excellent.
Plausability check
Score:
10
Notes:
The claims made in the narrative are plausible and supported by recent data from reputable sources. The narrative does not make surprising or impactful claims without supporting detail from other reputable outlets. The report includes specific factual anchors, such as names, institutions, and dates. The language and tone are consistent with the region and topic. The structure is focused and relevant to the claim. The tone is appropriate for a news report. Therefore, the plausibility check score is excellent.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): PASS
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): HIGH
Summary:
The narrative presents recent and original content from reputable sources, with no significant issues identified in freshness, quotes, source reliability, or plausibility. Therefore, the overall assessment is a PASS with high confidence.
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