Only 31% were convinced the media will cover all candidates properly, while 65% were not. Only 36% of potential voters said the "media will provide enough context for voters to understand their choices," while 60% did not. Democrats trusted national news media 63%-33% more. Only 24% of Republicans trust the media, while 73% do not. Independents concurred 35%-59% on the same concern.
Republicans have always been wary of the media, but former President Donald Trump memorably dubbed it "the enemy of the people" and "fake news," escalating their conflict. Rejecting the Hunter Biden laptop story as Russian influence when it turned out to be mainly accurate, promoting the now-debunked Trump-Russian connection claim, and more have drew criticism from the mainstream media.