• by Ray Schultz , Columnist, Yesterday

The most trusted news source in the U.S. is not any of the major outlets like Fox, CNN or the New York Times. It continues to be The Weather Channel, according to a survey by YouGov.  

Americans are 49% more likely to call The Weather Channel trustworthy than untrustworthy. And that net score is up from 43% in 2024. Moreover, this is a bipartisan choice.  

The least trusted source by this measure is the National Enquirer, although it has improved from -44% last year to -37. This vote is also bipartisan. 

In general, BBC is the second most-trusted source, with a net of 26% and PBS is third with 25%. The Wall Street Journal has a net of 20% and The New York Times 14%. Fox News doesn’t track at all on this list, while CNN has a score of 8%.  

Here’s the worst news for publishers: a mere 17% of consumers pay for news subscriptions.  

As also seen in a recent PEW survey, Republicans are more trusting than they were, going from a net score of -8% last year to -1% in 2025. The biggest beneficiaries are Fox News, CNN, Yahoo ‘News, Comedy Central, MSNBC, ESPN, The Weather Channel, and the Los Angeles Times, YouGov reports.  

“Republicans are more likely than Democrats to say that consuming news makes them feel hopeful,” YouGov writes. “Democrats, on the other hand, are more likely than Republicans to say it causes anxiety, depression, anger, and a feeling of being overwhelmed.” 

Where do people get their news? Of those surveyed, 61% have consumed news from social media in the past month. Television ranks second, with 59%. 

In contrast, 43% have used news websites. Only 13% have gotten news from print newspapers. Podcasts reached 23% and email newsletters 20%.

Here is how legacy news channels ranked in terms of usage in the past month: 

• The New York Times—24% 
• USA Today—22% 
• The Associated Press—19%
• The Washington Post—19% 
• The Wall Street Journal—17%
• Reuters—16%
• New York Post—13% 
• The Guardian—11%
• The Los Angeles Times—10% 
• Newsweek—9% 
• People—8%
• Time Magazine—8% 
• The New Yorker—7% 
• The Economist—7% 
• The Financial times—6%
• National Enquirer—2% 
• None of the above—45% 

YouGov surveyed 2,211 consumers in its panel from May 11-12, 2025.