We recently compiled a list of the 15 Most Trusted News Publications in the US, and in this article, we will take a look at the most trusted news publication in the US.
Trust in US News Sources
Journalism is an industry heavily dependent on consumer trust, but where does the US stand in that environment? According to the 2024 Reuters Institute Digital News Report, only 32% of Americans express trust in ‘most news most of the time.’ Among the news brands included in this survey, the highest trust levels were for local television news (62%) and regional or local newspapers (58%). However, other news channels fared pretty low in comparison. ABC News, BBC News, and CBS News emerged as the most trustworthy, with 52% of survey responders expressing trust in them. Meanwhile, the highest levels of distrust were received by Fox News (43%) and CNN (37%). Despite the trust in local newspapers, the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University reported that in 2023, 2.5 local newspapers closed every week. This left more than half of US counties without reliable access to local news.
Trust in the media also ties in with press freedom, as a lack of censorship allows news channels to paint an unbiased picture of current events. However, the 2024 World Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) also painted a grim picture of the United States, which ranked 55th out of 180 countries, falling ten points in one year. According to RSF, the growing distrust in media partly results from political officials making antagonistic comments, going as far as calling for journalists to be jailed. Out of all five indicators for the index, the US received its worst ranking in the security indicator, coming at the 118th spot. This indicator measures the risk of physical, psychological, or professional harm to journalists. The RSF also noted that journalism all around the globe is under political pressure, with the political indicator of the index recording a global fall of 7.6 points, the highest among all indicators.
Digital News vs. Print Media: Changing Tides
Amid increasing distrust, the modes of news consumption are also shifting drastically. The 21st century ushered in the era of digital news, which ultimately impacted the print industry. According to data from the United States Census Bureau, the weekday circulation of daily newspapers in the US decreased by more than half from 2002 to 2020, going from 55.8 million to 24.2 million. Along with circulation, the revenue also dropped significantly. In 2002, newspaper publishers were making $46.2 billion in revenue, a number which decreased to $22.1 billion by 2020. The decrease was 27.8% from 2002 to 2010 and 33.6% from 2010 to 2020.
A report published by the Press Gazette in February 2024 revealed that from January to September 2023, the combined average daily print circulation of the top 25 newspaper publications in the US decreased 14%, dropping to 2.3 million. The largest daily newspaper in the US is the Wall Street Journal, which had an average daily publication of 555,182 from January to September 2023. Despite being the biggest name in the US print news industry, the average publication of WSJ fell 14% year-on-year in 2023. As of December 2023, WSJ had 3.5 million digital subscribers. Overall, it is worth noting that the year-on-year print circulation increased for none of the top 25 US dailies during the timeframe of this report.
Another Press Gazette report from 2022 revealed that 60% of US consumers prefer to read news online rather than in newspapers. The percentage was highest for people aged 25-34, 69% of whom prefer digital news. The lowest was for individuals aged 55 and above, only 51% of whom preferred online news, which was still more than half. However, the trend was quite different for magazines because 47% of consumers preferred reading the print version, 29% preferred digital, and 25% were indifferent. The statistics show a difference in how people treat newspapers and magazines, but all reports reveal a consistent decrease in newspaper print circulation.
Prominent Players in the US Industry
New York Times Co. (NYSE:NYT) is one of the largest dailies in the United States, with around 640,000 print subscribers and over 9.8 million digital subscribers. In May 2024, the company announced that it had added 210,000 digital subscribers in the previous quarter alone, adding that 2024 was off to a strong start. Apart from its daily newspapers, New York Times Co. (NYSE:NYT) also owns several other outlets, such as The Athletic, a sports coverage platform with 4.99 million subscribers by the end of the first quarter 2024.
New York Times Co. (NYSE:NYT) is currently also focusing on getting its consumers to subscribe to its other offerings in order to increase revenue. Subscriptions for The Athletic increased by 1.72 million from the first quarter of 2023 to 2024. This led to a revenue increase of 33% for the platform, but regardless, it still lost $8.7 million in Q1 2024, which showcases that it has yet to become a profitable source for the company. It’s important to note that The Athletic was bought by the company only in 2022, so things might take a while to get on track.
According to the Reuters report, 50% of American survey responders expressed trust in the New York Times, 30% expressed distrust, and 20% were neutral. In the changing news landscape, news companies like New York Times Co. (NYSE:NYT) have to find the balance between embracing new technology without damaging public trust. Generative AI, which allows users to produce various kinds of content, has become a substantial part of the media industry. However, several news outlets were recently called out for inaccurate pieces produced through this means.
Amidst these developments, The Times announced that it will build an AI initiatives team to use generative AI tools responsibly, ethically, and effectively. Zach Seward, a founding editor of Quartz, was brought on as Editorial Director of AI Initiatives in December 2023. The company announced the rest of its team in May 2024, comprising two machine learning engineers, a design editor, and an associate editorial director. The company also announced that it will offer some of its generative AI tools to a pilot group of journalists in the coming months, enabling them to understand how the technology can become useful in their work.
Consumers are yet to see how AI tools will change The Times’ journalism, but it may have a considerable impact on how trustworthy people believe the publication to be. In summary, every aspect of a news publication affects readers’ trust level, and with this in mind, let’s take a look at the most trusted news publication in the US.
A close-up of a newspaper press, illustrating the power of publishing.
Our Methodology
To compile this list of the most trusted news publications in the US, we utilized the Trust in Media 2024 Survey by YouGov, which asked responders whether they trust certain news outlets and to what extent. From the survey, we shortlisted all news publications with positive trust. We then ranked the publications according to the total number of US-based web visits they received in the month of June 2024, using data sourced from Similarweb. Our hypothesis is that trustworthy sources receive a higher number of visitors. The publications are ranked in ascending order of web visits.
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The Most Trusted News Publication in the US
The New York Times
Visits in June 2024: 478.7 Million
The New York Times, founded in 1851, ranks number one on our list of the most trusted news publications in the United States. It is one of the most prominent daily newspapers in the country, with 67% of its total website traffic coming from the United States. According to the YouGov survey, Americans are 13% more likely to consider the newspaper trustworthy rather than untrustworthy. According to the Reuters report, 50% of survey respondents mentioned trust in the publication.
Apart from its presence in the United States, the New York Times has 30 other bureaus in countries around the world, which employ over 200 international journalists. The website has desks dedicated to various segments, including politics, climate, and culture. The company also produces audio projects, including ‘The Daily’, a news podcast reporting daily news.
To learn about other trusted news publications in America, check out our detailed report on the 15 Most Trusted News Publications in the US.
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