Precision Is Power In a Divided Media Landscape
Pew Research Center’s recently-released News Media Tracker offers an important (if sobering) view into how Americans consume and trust news in 2025. The topline takeaway? Trust in the media remains deeply fragmented and sharply divided along partisan lines.
Out of 32 news outlets tracked, only two — Forbes and The Wall Street Journal — earn majority trust from both Republicans and Democrats. Meanwhile, trust in Fox News remains high among Republicans (56%), while Democrats report strong trust in a wide range of mainstream and public outlets including PBS, CNN, BBC, The New York Times, and the AP. But media polarization isn’t just a political story. It’s a structural reality all communications experts must work with, and not around.
Audience Segmentation Isn’t Optional. It’s Foundational.
The data reinforces something smart communicators already know: audience segmentation is no longer a “nice to have.” It's mission-critical. Americans are consuming media and content that not only reflects their ideology, but reinforces it through trusted sources, familiar tone and aligned worldviews. This means the old school “spray and pray” strategy that pushes the same message across all outlets, in all formats, simply won’t work.
Turn Insights Into Action
Here are five ways communicators, campaigners, and thought leaders can adapt in this increasingly polarized media environment:
1. Map your audience and their media trust landscape.
Before planning any content launch, paid or earned media outreach, ask: What is my target audience, where do they get their news, and who do they trust to deliver it? Use tools like Pew’s tracker, alongside insights like podcast downloads, newsletter open rates, and social listening.
2. Go deep, not wide.
Rather than aiming for broad visibility, focus your efforts on the platforms and publishers your target audiences already trust. For some, that may be public radio and legacy TV. For others, it might be YouTube commentators or issue-specific Substacks. Trust buys you attention and ultimately, persuasion.
3. Stay nimble.
Media trust can shift quickly. Revisit your distribution strategy frequently. What worked in Q1 may no longer work in Q3. It’s critical to constantly be a student of the landscape: consume the content, follow the creators, monitor for launches.
4. Align your messenger with your message.
Sometimes the best spokesperson isn’t the CEO. Lean into storytellers, impacted people or subject-matter experts who can bring authenticity to your message and will likely resonate better with emerging media platforms.
5. Don’t confuse reach with influence.
The biggest platforms don’t always drive the deepest impact. A trusted newsletter with 10,000 engaged readers may do more for your message than a banner headline in a publication half your audience dismisses as biased.
Show Up Where It Matters
Polarization in the news media is here to stay. But with smart strategy, it’s still possible to build bridges, earn trust, and move audiences. This isn’t a dead end – it’s an exciting challenge. In a fragmented landscape, the goal isn’t to reach everyone, but to show up credibly and consistently where it matters most.
