Teen distrust of journalism is rising — media literacy may be the industry’s best defense

When the News Literacy Project (NLP) released its national study of teens’ views of journalism in November 2025, one figure stood out: 84% described news media negatively, calling it “biased,” “boring” or “bad.”

The report, based on a survey of more than 750 teens ages 13-17, arrived at a time when attacks on the press have become commonplace, and misinformation has proliferated across social platforms.