Raleigh, N.C. – PPP’s 5th annual poll about trust in TV news continues to find what it does every year: Fox News is both the most trusted and least trusted name in news.

35% of Americans say they trust Fox News more than any other TV news outlet, followed by 14% for PBS, 11% for ABC, 10% for CNN, 9% for CBS, 6% each for Comedy Central and MSNBC, and 3% for NBC. It leads the way because of its continuing near total support among Republicans as the place to go for news- 69% of Republicans say it’s their most trusted source with nothing else polling above 7%. Meanwhile Democrats are split between a lot of different outlets when it comes to who they have the most faith in- PBS at 21%, CNN and ABC at 18%, and CBS and MSNBC at 12% all poll in double digits.

Fox News also leads the ‘least trusted’ list in our annual poll. 33% give it that designation to 19% for MSNBC, 14% for Comedy Central, 11% for CNN, 5% for ABC, 4% for CBS, and 2% each for NBC and PBS. That’s largely because 57% of Democrats give it their least trusted designation, with only Comedy Central at 18% also hitting double digits with them. MSNBC leads the way among Republicans at 38%, but CNN at 17% and Comedy Central at 13% both hit double digits as well.

When you look at the 8 outlets we tested individually, only one is clearly trusted by a majority of Americans. That’s PBS, which 57% say they trust to 24% who don’t. Most Democrats (80/6) and independents (49/31) trust it and it at least gets an even split with Republicans at 38%. Voters are closely divided about most of the rest of the outlets- Fox News comes in at 44/42, CBS at 39/37, CNN at 40/40, NBC at 39/39, and ABC News at 37/38. In Fox’s case 75% of Republicans trust it while only 20% of Democrats do. For all the rest of them around 60-70% of Democrats trust them, but only around 20% of Republicans do.

“Republicans trust Fox News but not much else while Democrats trust everything except Fox News,” said Dean Debnam, President of Public Policy Polling. “Our country is just as polarized on TV news as it is on most hot button issues.”

PPP surveyed 845 registered voters from January 23rd to 26th. The margin of error for the overall survey is +/- 3.4%. 80% of interviews for the poll were conducted over the phone with 20% interviewed over the internet to reach respondents who don’t have landline telephones.

Topline results are below.  Full results, including crosstabs, can be found here.

Q1 Do you trust ABC News, or not?
Trust it ……………………………………………………. 37%
Don’t trust it…………………………………………….. 38%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 26%

Q2 Do you trust CBS News, or not?
Trust it ……………………………………………………. 39%
Don’t trust it…………………………………………….. 37%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 24%

Q3 Do you trust CNN, or not?
Trust it ……………………………………………………. 40%
Don’t trust it…………………………………………….. 40%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 21%

Q4 Do you trust Comedy Central, or not?
Trust it ……………………………………………………. 29%
Don’t trust it…………………………………………….. 38%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 33%

Q5 Do you trust Fox News, or not?
Trust it ……………………………………………………. 44%
Don’t trust it…………………………………………….. 42%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 15%

Q6 Do you trust MSNBC, or not?
Trust it ……………………………………………………. 34%
Don’t trust it…………………………………………….. 44%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 21%

Q7 Do you trust NBC News, or not?
Trust it ……………………………………………………. 39%
Don’t trust it…………………………………………….. 39%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 22%

Q8 Do you trust PBS, or not?
Trust it ……………………………………………………. 57%
Don’t trust it…………………………………………….. 24%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 19%

Q9 Which TV news outlet do you trust the most:
ABC News, CBS News, CNN, Comedy Central,
Fox News, MSNBC, NBC News, or PBS?
ABC ………………………………………………………. 11%
CBS ………………………………………………………. 9%
CNN………………………………………………………. 10%
Comedy Central………………………………………. 6%
Fox………………………………………………………… 35%
MSNBC………………………………………………….. 6%
NBC………………………………………………………. 3%
PBS ………………………………………………………. 14%
Someone else/Not sure ……………………………. 6%

Q10 Working from the same list of choices, which
TV news outlet do you trust the least?
ABC ………………………………………………………. 5%
CBS ………………………………………………………. 4%
CNN………………………………………………………. 11%
Comedy Central………………………………………. 14%
Fox………………………………………………………… 33%
MSNBC………………………………………………….. 19%
NBC………………………………………………………. 2%
PBS ………………………………………………………. 2%
Someone else/Not sure ……………………………. 10%

Q11 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion
of Stephen Colbert?
Favorable……………………………………………….. 37%
Unfavorable ……………………………………………. 21%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 43%

Q12 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion
of Bill O’Reilly?
Favorable……………………………………………….. 41%
Unfavorable ……………………………………………. 37%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 22%

Q13 If the candidates for President in 2016 were
Stephen Colbert and Bill O’Reilly, who would
you vote for?
Stephen Colbert………………………………………. 35%
Bill O’Reilly……………………………………………… 38%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 27%

Q14 Who do you think has better hair: Stephen
Colbert or Bill O’Reilly?
Stephen Colbert………………………………………. 38%
Bill O’Reilly……………………………………………… 13%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 49%

Q15 In the last presidential election, did you vote for
Barack Obama or Mitt Romney?
Barack Obama………………………………………… 48%
Mitt Romney……………………………………………. 42%
Someone else/Don’t remember …………………. 10%

Q16 Would you describe yourself as very liberal,
somewhat liberal, moderate, somewhat
conservative, or very conservative?
Very liberal ……………………………………………… 13%
Somewhat liberal …………………………………….. 18%
Moderate………………………………………………… 26%
Somewhat conservative……………………………. 25%
Very conservative ……………………………………. 18%

Q17 If you are a woman, press 1. If a man, press 2.
Woman ………………………………………………….. 53%
Man……………………………………………………….. 47%

Q18 If you are a Democrat, press 1. If a Republican,
press 2. If you are an independent or identify
with another party, press 3.
Democrat ……………………………………………….. 39%
Republican……………………………………………… 36%
Independent/Other…………………………………… 26%

Q19 If you are Hispanic, press 1. If white, press 2.
If African-American, press 3. If other, press 4.
Hispanic…………………………………………………. 9%
White …………………………………………………….. 75%
African-American …………………………………….. 12%
Other……………………………………………………… 4%

Q20 If you are 18 to 29 years old, press 1. If 30 to
45, press 2. If 46 to 65, press 3. If you are
older than 65, press 4.
18 to 29………………………………………………….. 15%
30 to 45………………………………………………….. 24%
46 to 65………………………………………………….. 40%
Older than 65………………………………………….. 21%

Q21 Mode
Phone ……………………………………………………. 80%
Internet ………………………………………………….. 20%