Radio Tops Media Trust Rankings As Podcasts Close In On TV, Katz Study Finds.

If artificial intelligence had feelings, it might be disappointed to hear radio is winning when it comes what is more trusted by Americans. While surveys show three in four adults have less trust in what they read online than in the past, radio’s trust level is holding steady across all age groups.

Katz Radio Group’s 2026 Media Trust Study finds 85% of Americans say radio is “very trustworthy” or “trustworthy,” giving it a clear lead over all other media types. Newspapers rank second at 77%, followed by television at 73%.

The findings based on a nationwide survey of 600 adults in January — also shows podcasts have reached parity with long-established formats. Seven in ten adults consider podcasts trustworthy, which matches magazines, and narrows the gap with television to just three points.

The findings highlight a widening divide between professionally-produced media and user-generated platforms. Social media ranks last, with just under half (49%) of adults labeling it trustworthy, more than 30 points behind radio.

“In a media environment filled with algorithmic feeds, deepfakes, and synthetic voices, trusted human connection is becoming more valuable, not less. And that’s where radio stands apart,” says Katz in a blog post detailing the findings. 

For audio, the results reinforce its dual role in the media mix. Radio continues to deliver unmatched scale combined with high credibility, driven by its local presence, live programming, and personality-driven format.

Radio’s dominance as the most trusted media is not limited to any one demographic, but instead spans every age group. Katz’s survey shows radio earns an 85% trust rating among adults 35–54, and 83% among both younger adults 18–34 and those 55 and older. That narrow range makes radio the most consistent medium in terms of credibility, even as trust in other platforms varies more widely by age.

The relatively small spread across all three demos suggests radio’s appeal is broadly distributed rather than concentrated within a specific age segment. By comparison, other media show greater fluctuation. Other have wider swings, reflecting more fragmented perceptions across generations.

Podcasts score 77% trust among both adults 18–34 and 55+, but drop to 67% among adults 35–54. That 10-point swing makes podcasts one of the more volatile media types in the dataset. The fact that older adults match younger listeners suggests podcast credibility has broadened beyond its early adopter base and is now resonating with older audiences.

But the divergence also suggests podcasts may face a “perception gap” among middle-aged consumers, who remain more anchored to traditional media brands. It also highlights how podcast trust is more audience-dependent than radio, which remains steady across all age groups.

Radio and podcasts alike benefit from trust built through a familiar voice. Katz says the result is listeners often develop long-term relationships with the voices they hear every day. “This human connection is difficult to replicate in algorithm-driven environments where content appears without context or credibility,” it says.

The implications for brands looking to connect with consumers that increasingly question the authenticity of online content are clear, with advertising in trusted platforms carrying greater weight.

“Radio ranks among the most trusted sources of information across generations,” says Katz. “For advertisers, that credibility creates a powerful halo effect. Messages delivered in trusted media environments are more likely to be heard, believed, and acted upon.”