Low Media Trust: Free Speech, Not Government Control, Is the Answer to Misinformation

Trust in the United States media remains at an all-time low, with only 31% of Americans believing it is accurate and fair and 36% having no trust at all. Confidence in the media varies greatly according to political party, with Democrats having more trust than Republicans or independents. Trust in the legislative branch is also low, although local and state governments are more trusted. Confidence in the executive and judicial branches has also declined, with most institutions performing at historic lows. Despite an overall loss in institutional trust, the public still has higher faith in state and municipal administrations.

Editor’s Note: The American public’s trust in the media has hit a record low, with only 31% believing in its ability to report news fairly and accurately. Yet, ironically, this same media insists that we must grant the government more power to fight misinformation online. We must resist this call. The true way to combat misinformation is through open debate and free speech, not by giving the government control over what we can or cannot say. What the media really wants is not to protect us from falsehoods but to censor dissenting voices and regain control over the narrative—especially since so few Americans trust them anymore. The way to fight misinformation is free speech, not censorship. This is also the same path to an informed and free society. [See also: How Social Media Algorithms and Censorship Threaten Free Speech, Big Tech Manipulation and the Battle for Free Speech in Public Platforms, Robert Reich Advocates Censorship and Calls for Musk’s Arrest, Challenging Free Speech Protections, Telegram Founder Arrested as Government Pressure Threatens Platform’s Privacy and Free Speech, Balancing Free Speech and Public Safety: The Risks of Criminalizing Online Expression]

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