Media Trust in the Americas, 2008–2023
2026-03-20
Concerns about media trust are especially salient given increased attention to issues of information quality and possible ramifications for countries and governments globally. In this Trends article, I use AmericasBarometer survey data to analyze media trust in North, South, and Central America, and the Caribbean from 2008 to 2023, reporting differences in trust based on each country. I plot trends in media trust across countries based on macro-level indicators of the media environment such as political system, perceived press freedom, and trust in elections. Finally, I present trends in media trust based on attention to news and political interest, individual factors that are influential to understanding media trust. Overall, downward trends in media trust are documented across countries and political and media systems.