The Media Insight Project

Multiracial teenager listening to music with earphones and looking at her phone while traveling on the subway.

Examine the public’s consumption of and attitudes toward media and journalism

Client

American Press Institute; Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications; University of Maryland’s Philip Merrill College of Journalism
Dates

2014 – Present

The Media Insight Project is a collaboration between the American Press Institute, Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications, the Local News Network at the University of Maryland’s Philip Merrill College of Journalism, and the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research to conduct high-quality, innovative research to inform the news industry and the public about important issues facing journalism and the news business.

The Media Insight Project brings together the expertise of these organizations and their partners and involves collaborations among key staff.

Among its findings:

A 2026 survey found that American teenagers and adults are navigating an increasingly fragmented news landscape, with influencers and independent creators becoming major sources of information. Despite misinformation concerns, most respondents say these creators do a reasonably good job verifying facts, being transparent, and presenting diverse viewpoints.
A 2024 survey found that the public relies heavily on local and national news organizations as sources for news about elections, but many adults have concerns about the reliability of the information they get.
A 2022 survey showed that members of the Gen Z and Millennial generations were active consumers of news and information, with nearly a third of them willing to pay for it. But their trust in the press was low, with many experiencing digital fatigue. They were also worried about misinformation in both traditional and social media.
A 2021 survey found that Americans didn’t universally embrace core values that guide journalistic inquiry. Uneasiness with these core values of journalism was more connected to people’s underlying moral instincts than to politics.

Details on Media Insight Project surveys can be found on the AP-NORC Center’s website.