How Americans think about corporate and political influence on the news

About this research This report from the Pew-Knight Initiative looks at how Americans think about freedom of the press, as well as the related First Amendment concept of freedom of speech, in the United States today. Why we did this Pew Research Center has asked about press freedom and free speech both domestically and globally for the past decade. The topic has become especially relevant amid the changing media environment and the evolving concept of “the press”; the growing role of technology companies as gatekeepers to news and information; and President Donald Trump’s tense relationship with the news media, which has led some groups and individuals to raise concerns about whether press freedom is being restricted. It is a good time to take a fresh look at Americans’ views on press freedom in the U.S. – how they define it, what they think about its status and how they weigh it against other ongoing challenges in the news environment. Learn more about Pew Research Center and our research on news habits and media. How we did this We surveyed 3,507 U.S. adults from March 23 to 29, 2026, and 3,488 U.S. adults from June 22 to 28, 2026. Everyone who took part in these surveys is a member of the Center’s American Trends Panel. The surveys represent the views of the full U.S. adult population. We also conducted 10 online focus group discussions led by SSRS with 74 U.S. adults, held from May 20 to June 4, 2026. These discussions do not represent the entire U.S. population. This report shares findings and quotes from the focus groups to help illustrate and add detail to the survey results. Quotes were lightly edited for spelling, punctuation and clarity. Here are the survey questions used for this report, the detailed responses and the methodology. This is a Pew Research Center report from the Pew-Knight Initiative, a research program funded jointly by The Pew Charitable Trusts and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. Find related reports online at https://www.pewresearch.org/pew-knight/. While the First Amendment protects the press from government interference, many Americans perceive a subtler – but substantial – form of influence on U.S. news organizations from both corporate and political interests. Americans see this influence as taking a few different forms: Most say corporate and political interests have at least somewhat of an impact on which stories get covered, the balance of political perspectives in the news and the accuracy of the news. Overall views on these forms of influence on the news have been largely stable since 2024, but the gaps between the two major political parties on these questions have narrowed. Republicans have become less likely to view the government as exerting a great deal of influence on the press, and Democrats have become somewhat more likely to say they see both financial and political pressures on the media. These findings are part of a Pew Research Center study from the Pew-Knight Initiative exploring how Americans think about freedom of the press today. Read key findings from the full study, which included two surveys of U.S. adults and a series of 10 focus groups. Many see a great deal of financial and political influence in U.S. news A large majority of Americans say they think U.S. news organizations are at least somewhat influenced by corporate and political interests. This includes roughly half who say they think U.S. news organizations are influenced a great deal by corporations and financial interests (54%) or government and political interests (49%). Americans’ views on corporate and financial influence on news are relatively stable % of U.S. adults who say U.S. news organizations are influenced __ by … Note: Respondents who did not answer are not shown. Source: Pew Research Center survey of U.S. adults conducted June 22-28, 2026. For dates of other surveys, refer to the topline. “Americans Value Press Freedom but Differ on Its Limits” PEW-KNIGHT INITIATIVE Americans’ views on corporate and financial influence on news are relatively stable % of U.S. adults who say U.S. news organizations are influenced __ by … InfluenceA great dealSomewhatNot very much/Not at allNot sure2024Corporations and financial interests5133692025Corporations and financial interests5530682026Corporations and financial interests54297102024Government and political interests4934892025Government and political interests5729672026Government and political interests493479 Note: Respondents who did not answer are not shown. Source: Pew Research Center survey of U.S. adults conducted June 22-28, 2026. For dates of other surveys, refer to the topline. “Americans Value Press Freedom but Differ on Its Limits” PEW-KNIGHT INITIATIVE Fewer than 10% of U.S. adults each say they think news organizations are not very or not at all influenced by money or politics, although about one-in-ten say they aren’t sure how much influence there is on each of those fronts. In 10 focus groups we conducted with 74 everyday Americans, many participants expressed concerns about outside pressures on the freedom of the press, with some seeing financial influences as intertwined with political forces that shape what news gets covered and how stories get presented. One common perspective is that this influence plays out behind closed doors, hidden from public scrutiny. “I think the government is controlled by corporate interests, and the corporations control the media.” – Man, 50s, left-leaning “The biggest threat currently is all corporations are primarily driven by profits, and viewership drives profits. … That always is going to influence the news stories that corporations put out.” – Man, under 30, right-leaning “I do think that there are players working behind the scenes, using their money to control what’s out there or repress certain things.”– Woman, 30s, left-leaning “I kind of view the hyper wealthy people as having a grip over both the government and the media. … I guess I don’t really think of it as the government censoring it. I think of it as this certain agenda being pushed on all the fronts at once.” – Man, under 30, right-leaning “It’s a behind-the-scenes thing. … It’s just so much side stuff now, you don’t even know who’s in whose pocket.”– Man, 60s, right-leaning Party gaps in perceptions of outside influence on news have narrowed While overall opinions on corporate and political influence on the media have not changed much since we first asked these questions in 2024, there have been shifts within each major political party. The share of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents who say they think U.S. news organizations are influenced a great deal by political interests has dropped since 2024, from 67% to 54%. Party gaps in Americans’ perceptions of political and financial influence on U.S. news organizations have narrowed since 2024 % of U.S. adults who say U.S. news organizations are influenced a great deal by … Source: Pew Research Center survey of U.S. adults conducted June 22-28, 2026. For dates of other surveys, refer to the topline.“Americans Value Press Freedom but Differ on Its Limits” PEW-KNIGHT INITIATIVE Party gaps in Americans’ perceptions of political and financial influence on U.S. news organizations have narrowed since 2024 % of U.S. adults who say U.S. news organizations are influenced a great deal by … InterestRep/Lean RepDem/Lean Dem2024Government and political interests67342025Government and political interests64512026Government and political interests54462024Corporations and financial interests60452025Corporations and financial interests60512026Corporations and financial interests5852 Source: Pew Research Center survey of U.S. adults conducted June 22-28, 2026. For dates of other surveys, refer to the topline.“Americans Value Press Freedom but Differ on Its Limits” PEW-KNIGHT INITIATIVE In contrast, Democrats and Democratic leaners are now more likely to say they think the news media are heavily influenced by the government. After 34% of Democrats expressed this view at the end of the Biden administration in 2024, that number jumped to 51% in 2025 and now stands at 46%. A left-leaning man in his 20s said, “It’s not a dictatorship in that regard, but I feel like the sentiment by the government is discouraging people, and threatening shutting people down, and certainly in a roundabout way like [Stephen] Colbert such that I feel like it would dissuade a lot of people who might otherwise speak out.” Despite these shifts, Republicans remain modestly more likely than Democrats to say political interests influence news organizations a great deal. “I think [news organizations are] highly influenced,” said a right-leaning woman in her 50s. “Maybe there is a financial reason for that, because of their owner’s links with so-and-so or they have a different agenda … but what I see is a highly polarized media, divided media. There’s an extreme right and left extreme. There’s nothing in the middle.” Conservative Republicans and liberal Democrats are more likely than others in each party to say there is corporate and political influence on news % of U.S. adults who say U.S. news organizations are influenced a great deal by … Source: Pew Research Center survey of U.S. adults conducted June 22-28, 2026. “Americans Value Press Freedom but Differ on Its Limits” PEW-KNIGHT INITIATIVE Conservative Republicans and liberal Democrats are more likely than others in each party to say there is corporate and political influence on news % of U.S. adults who say U.S. news organizations are influenced a great deal by … groupCorporations and financial interestsGovernment and political interestsAll U.S. adultsgroup15449Conservative Rep/Lean Repgroup26459Moderate/Liberal Rep/Lean Repgroup24846Moderate/ Conservative Dem/Lean Demgroup24642Liberal Dem/ Lean Demgroup26152 Source: Pew Research Center survey of U.S. adults conducted June 22-28, 2026. “Americans Value Press Freedom but Differ on Its Limits” PEW-KNIGHT INITIATIVE In the same group, a right-leaning man in his 30s said, “I think [the] Democratic side of the house has a much stronger relationship with legacy media or just media in general than a Republican side.” There has been less movement within each party when it comes to perceptions of corporate influence over news, but the gap between the parties has also narrowed on this question. Democrats are slightly more likely today to say they think financial interests influence U.S. news organizations a great deal (52% in 2026 vs. 45% in 2024), while Republicans’ views have remained mostly stable (58% in 2026 vs. 60% in 2024). Conservative Republicans and liberal Democrats are more likely than others in each party to say they think U.S. news organizations are influenced a great deal by both corporate and political interests. “I think sometimes it’s money over truth,” said a right-leaning woman in her 50s. How do corporate and political interests influence the media, according to Americans? Not only do Americans overwhelmingly think both financial and political interests influence U.S. news organizations, but they see this impact in a variety of ways. Americans see corporate and political influence on what news gets covered, the balance of perspectives and the accuracy of news % of U.S. adults who say __ influence each of the following a great deal or somewhat Note: Figures may not sum to “NET” column due to rounding. Source: Pew Research Center survey of U.S. adults conducted June 22-28, 2026. “Americans Value Press Freedom but Differ on Its Limits” PEW-KNIGHT INITIATIVE Americans see corporate and political influence on what news gets covered, the balance of perspectives and the accuracy of news % of U.S. adults who say __ influence each of the following a great deal or somewhat InfluenceA great dealSomewhatNETWhich news stories get coveredCorporate and financial interests493281The balance of political perspectives in the newsCorporate and financial interests473379The accuracy of the newsCorporate and financial interests393776Which news stories get coveredGovernment and political interests473481The balance of political perspectives in the newsGovernment and political interests443479The accuracy of the newsGovernment and political interests383877 Note: Figures may not sum to “NET” column due to rounding. Source: Pew Research Center survey of U.S. adults conducted June 22-28, 2026. “Americans Value Press Freedom but Differ on Its Limits” PEW-KNIGHT INITIATIVE Large majorities of U.S. adults say they think both financial and political interests affect three aspects of news coverage at least somewhat: Which news stories get covered The balance of political perspectives in the news The accuracy of the news In focus groups, participants expressed nuanced views about how and why they believe financial and political interests influence the U.S. news media. Some drew distinctions between individual journalists and the constraints placed on them by their employers. Others emphasized ways that news organizations alter their coverage because of financial factors affecting the entire industry or because they are seeking the favor of the government: “Very few people own the news outlets, and I feel like the power is in the hands of a few and they certainly have special interests. I do believe the regular news reporter is probably honest and well-intended.” – Woman, 40s, right-leaning “Obviously it’s a business – journalism. Somebody has to buy it for it to be heard. … It’s market-driven to that extent. That’s probably why the newspapers are shriveling. Market forces in addition to coercion and intimidation by people that don’t want to be criticized.” – Woman, 60s, left-leaning “It just seems like press organizations and journalists themselves kind of shackle themselves to their own restrictions. … It could be the government, but it also could be themselves and who their beneficiaries are between clicks and ratings.” – Man, 40s, right-leaning “There definitely seems to be some favorited company that wants to kiss the ring. And then there’s more independent companies that are being kind of pulled over the coals for trying to do actual reporting.” – Man, 40s, left-leaning