News‑trust rebound in 2026

A nationally representative Pew survey in September 2026 finds a modest, cross‑partisan rebound in Americans’ trust in both national and local news: national news trust rose to 62% (up 6 points year‑over‑year) and local news to 75% (up 5 points), while trust in social media remained flat (~38%). The increase is visible among both Republican and Democratic identifiers and across age groups. — Rising trust in news—even modest and uneven—changes the baseline for debates about media credibility, misinformation policy, civic resilience, and how institutions shape public opinion.