November 7, 2025
Trust issues: Teen edition
Majority of teens hold negative views of news media, says report
Teens roast the news: lies, ads, and The Onion gets the love
TLDR: A new survey finds most U.S. teens view the news as fake, biased, and ad-driven, with many believing journalists make things up. Commenters split between cheering teen skepticism, blasting ad-chasing and “both-sides” coverage, joking that satire feels more reliable, and calling for more public funding to fix a broken media system.
If you thought teens were doomscrolling their way into loving the news, think again. A new News Literacy Project survey says 84% of U.S. teens describe the media with negative words like “fake,” “boring,” and “biased,” and about half think journalists make up quotes or pay sources. In a classroom visit, even kids taking a news literacy elective didn’t want to become reporters—ouch. Meanwhile, adults are nodding grimly; trust in media is low across the board, with Republicans at rock bottom. Social media is now America’s No. 1 news feed, and teens are acting like it.
The comments section went full family group chat. One optimist cheered, “maybe the kids will save us,” while another parent flexed that their teen’s favorite outlet is… The Onion. Cue the meme: “Satire is the only honest news now.” Others brought fire: one user ranted that modern outlets push “low-effort articles” just to serve ads, while another blasted both-sides coverage for pretending every claim is equally credible. Solutions? A chorus demanded public funding for independent media to stop the ad-chasing spiral. The vibe: part comedy roast, part civic intervention, part therapy session—with teens calling out hype and adults admitting the system’s broken, even as teachers try to rebuild trust one classroom at a time.
Key Points
- •The News Literacy Project surveyed 756 U.S. teens (ages 13–18) about perceptions of news media.
- •84% of teens used negative descriptors for news media; top words included “Fake,” “Crazy,” “Boring,” “Biased,” and “Sad.”
- •About half believe journalists frequently make up details and pay for sources; honesty and accuracy were top areas for improvement.
- •Prior findings referenced: 45% say journalists harm democracy, 67% show little concern about the decline of news outlets, and 80% see journalists as no more impartial than other online creators.
- •Gallup data cited: 28% of Americans trust the media; only 8% of Republicans have confidence, with social media now the leading way Americans get news.