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As the election rapidly approaches – now just 62 days away – data show that Americans are increasingly tuning into political news, although not as much as they used to. According to CivicScience’s ongoing quarterly tracking, 8-in-10 U.S. adults say they’re following politics at least ‘somewhat closely,’ up nine percentage points from the beginning of the year. However, this figure stands 11 percentage points lower than this time during the 2020 election cycle (91%).
At the same time, the percentage of U.S. adults who ‘almost never’ read political news blogs and websites surpasses the percentage that does read them for the first time since 2015.
This shift in how frequently Americans follow politics raises important questions about which news sources they turn to and trust most. Understanding these preferences can provide insight into how they will impact voters as Election Day approaches.
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Top Political News Sources and Which Ones Americans Trust the Most
New CivicScience data show that among those who follow political news, national network news channels rank as their top source for political news (21%), followed closely by national cable news channels (20%) and local news channels (19%) – with local news also being a top choice for breaking news. Differences exist among political lines – Republicans are most likely to go to national cable news channels for breaking news whereas Democrats are most likely to go to national network news channels.1
However, when it comes to trust, local news channels come out on top (27%), followed by national network news channels (20%) and national cable news channels (18%). Americans hold less trust in national news websites, social media, radio broadcasts, and local news websites.
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It’s also important to note that the news source Americans turn to impacts how well-informed they feel about politics. For instance, those who typically go to national cable news channels first for political news are most likely to feel ‘very informed’ about politics; whereas those who turn to local news are less likely to feel well-informed.
Overall, these findings highlight the evolving landscape of political news consumption in the U.S., revealing shifts not only in the frequency with which Americans engage with political content, but also in the trust they place in different news sources. As Election Day approaches, understanding key preferences will be crucial in anticipating how informed voters will feel.
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- 676 responses from 8/29/2024 to 9/2/2024 ↩︎
