Poll: Few Americans Trust Media

A new Harris Poll measures the levels of trust which Americans have in important institutions, and compares the results with those in a virtually identical European survey. For many institutions the levels of trust, or distrust, on both sides of the Atlantic were similar. There were also some striking differences.



Americans showed much less trust than Europeans in the media and in the United Nations. On the other hand, Americans, more than Europeans, trust religious institutions. Both Americans and Europeans had relatively high levels of trust in their police and military. Both Americans and Europeans had very little trust in political parties, their governments, trade unions and big business.


The American data are the results of a nationwide Harris Poll of 2,092 adults surveyed online between December 8 and 15, 2004. The European data come from the Eurobarometer survey of adults in the 25 member countries of the European Union surveyed nine months earlier in February and March 2004.

American attitudes toward the press, radio and television were much more negative than European attitudes. Specifically:

- A 62 to 22 percent (almost 3-to-1) majority of Americans did not trust "the press"; Europeans were split 47 to 46 percent.

- A modest 43 to 33 percent plurality of Americans were inclined to trust the radio; a larger than 2-to-1 majority (62% to 29%) of Europeans did so.

- A substantial 58 to 22 percent majority of Americans did not trust television; a 54 to 39 percent majority of Europeans did trust TV.

In the five largest EU countries:

- Trust in radio was above 55 percent everywhere and highest in Spain and France (67%).

- Trust in the press was highest in Spain (61%) and France (60%) and lowest in the U.K. (20%) -- with its own special mass market tabloid journalism.

- Trust in television was highest in Germany (59%) and the U.K. (54%) and lowest in Italy (37%) where Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi owns several powerful networks.


Majorities in both the United States and Europe did not trust their politicians or their governments. A plurality of Europeans trusted the United Nations, while a plurality of Americans distrusted the U.N. Specifically:


- Very large majorities of both Americans (77% to 8%) and Europeans (77% to 14%) distrusted political parties.

- Substantial majorities of both Americans (55% to 27%) and Europeans (63% to 28%) distrusted their governments.

- A substantial majority of Americans (56% to 22%) distrusted the Congress. A substantial majority of Europeans (57% to 32%) distrusted their parliaments or elected chambers.

- A 44 to 30 percent plurality of Americans tended not to trust the United Nations. In contrast, in Europe, a 49 to 34 percent plurality were inclined to trust the U.N.


Trust in other institutions:

Large majorities of between 3-to-1 and 2-to-1 trusted the police and the military in both the United States and in Europe. Large majorities also trusted charitable and voluntary organizations. On the other hand, very large majorities in both the U.S. (70% to 12%) and in Europe (60% to 26%) distrusted big companies. Adults also tended not to trust trade unions in both the U.S. (51% to 19%) and Europe (50% to 34%). When it comes to justice and legal systems, Europeans were split with 45 percent trusting their systems and 47 percent distrusting them. In the U.S. a 47 to 36 percent plurality did not trust the legal system.