Report: Majority of U.S. Voters Trust Public Media

RADIO ONLINE | Monday, July 14, 2025 | 10:54am CT

Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB)

As the Senate prepares to vote on the Rescissions Act of 2025 -- which would eliminate $1.1 billion in previously approved funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) -- a new national poll finds that most U.S. voters trust and value public media more than commercial media, and oppose the proposed funding cuts.

The survey, conducted online by Peak Insights between June 29 and July 1 among 1,000 likely voters, shows that 53% of respondents trust public media networks and local stations to report the news "fully, accurately and fairly," compared to just 35% who say the same about the media overall.

At the same time, 53% of voters said they oppose eliminating all federal funding for public media. Only 44% supported such a move.

"Public media is a trusted, vital part of American life, available free of charge and commercial free," said CPB President and CEO Patricia Harrison. "It delivers early learning resources to families, life-saving emergency alerts to communities, and trusted local and national programming to keep citizens connected and informed."

Among the services and programming voters said they highly value:

• 82% support public media's emergency alerts

• 66% value children's educational programming

• 66% support local programming

• 60% value national news reporting

The poll also found public media enjoys a favorable reputation with voters, especially in contrast to commercial media. Local public television and radio stations received 65% favorable ratings, PBS 61%, and NPR 54%. By contrast, 61% of voters expressed an unfavorable opinion of for-profit media.

Additional findings highlight public support for public media's mission:

• 68% agree public media serves as a lifeline for rural and underserved communities

• 66% believe it provides quality educational content for children

• 62% say it should remain free of charge

• 64% support appointing an independent ombudsman to ensure content is fair, balanced, and politically neutral

As steward of federal appropriations for public media, CPB said it remains committed to delivering unbiased, nonpartisan news and information, as well as investing in new technologies and services that enhance civic engagement and reflect local needs.

"The path to a better, more trusted public media is only possible with continued federal support," Harrison said. "Federal funding compels CPB to continually strengthen efforts to deepen trust and fulfill the mission envisioned by Congress through the content and services provided by local stations."

The Senate vote on the Rescissions Act could determine whether public media retains its federal financial support amid competing budget priorities.