Sean Hannity: 30% “Not at all”
First on our list is Fox News staple Sean Hannity, who, sadly for us, ranks at the bottom of America’s least trusted news anchors. When prompted to choose from “A lot”, “Some”, “Not much”, “Not at all”, and “Don’t know / No opinion”, Sean Hannity scored the most “Not at all” votes, reaching 30% low confidence overall. Fox News is the most watched network on U.S. cable, including daytime and primetime. Unfortunately, it does not appear that the viewers placed a high level of faith in it.
Sean Hannity 30% Not At All
Rachel Maddow: 26% “Not at all”
Next up is MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow, who does not fare any better than her colleague. Maddow is considered as the monarch supreme in political news circles, thanks to her primetime news program The Rachel Maddow Show. The ratings aren’t as high as the Fox broadcasts, but she still has a large audience. However, with a large number of viewers comes a lot of criticism—which is why Maddow scored a staggering 26% of votes for “not at all” when asked how much they trusted her.
Don Lemon: 25% “Not at all”
CNN veteran Don Lemon has been a regular face at the network since 2006, but it took him almost ten years to reach the status of reporting superstar. Lemon now has his own show CNN Tonight with Don Lemon, which has a big number of loyal viewers.However, his high ratings do not always transfer into audience trust—in a recent study, 25% of voters said they did not trust him at all.
Don Lemon 25% Not At All
Mika Brzezinski: 23% “Not at all”
Mika Brzezinski, another MSNBC news sensation, has earned a name for herself as a straight-talking anchor. She co-hosts the popular news show Morning Joe with her husband Joe Scarborough, holding her coffee as she rips through critical reports about today’s politicians.Her outspoken nature surely earns her a lot of likes—and dislikes. Because, despite the large viewership, 23% of voters said they did not trust her.
Mika Brzezinski 23%
Chris Matthews
Chris Matthews, a well-known and popular figure in the world of news reporting, has hosted the show Hardball with Chris Matthews since 1999. He was also well-known prior to it, having hosted CNBC’s America’s Talking. While he certainly had America talking, he didn’t exactly win everyone’s hearts in terms of dependability—an astounding 22% of polled rated him as someone they don’t trust at all. His new misconduct claims have harmed his standing in the profession even more.
Chris Matthews
Joe Scarborough
Next on our list is Joe Scarborough, the other half of Mika Brzezinski, whom we met earlier. Not only are these two a true power couple in news reporting, but they are also tremendously strong characters as they discuss their thoughts over their morning coffees on the popular MSNBC news show Morning Joe. While he does marginally better in opinion polls than his wife, Scarborough still receives an overwhelming “not at all” vote, with 22%.
Joe Scarborough
Tucker Carlson
Tucker Carlson is one of the most prominent newscasters in the United States today. However, popularity in ratings does not always equate to trust in someone’s honesty, as demonstrated by a recent poll. Because, despite the fact that Carlson frequently attracts up to 4 million people to his shows, 21% of pollsters voted “not at all” when asked how much they trusted him. Not exactly a strong endorsement!
Tucker Carlson
Chris Cuomo
Chris Cuomo’s unique style of news reporting is quite unconventional. Is he a celebrity influencer, with his fit physique and motivational Instagram exercise videos? Or is he a legitimate political commentator, despite his unpredictable rants and verbal attacks on the government? We’re not sure, but he continues to make headlines for a variety of reasons—but it doesn’t help his reputation, with 20% of voters saying they don’t trust him as all.
Chris Cuomo
Laura Ingraham
Laura Ingraham, another celebrity news commentator on our list, has built a reputation in the profession for her outspokenness. She isn’t scared to express herself, and she never hides her most outlandish or controversial opinions. There’s no doubting that this makes her incredibly watchable—her Fox News show The Ingraham Angle is extremely popular—but her credibility is pretty low, with 20% of voters rating her trustworthiness as “not at all”.
Laura Ingraham
Anderson Cooper
Anderson Cooper, one of the most famous and popular faces on American television today, is unquestionably a vital player in US news reporting. His signature glasses and white-blond hair have become as well-known as his presenting abilities, thanks to his work as presenter of CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360° and a number of other prominent TV series. However, his fame has not given him complete credibility, as 19% of respondents voted “not at all” when asked how much they trusted him.
Anderson Cooper
Chuck Todd
Chuck Todd is a significant figure in NBC’s political reporting, serving as director for the entire division. So it may surprise you to hear that the journalistic stalwart has a rather low perceived trustworthiness rating, with 19% of respondents saying they trust him “not at all” when it comes to his reporting. However, it appears that it has not hindered his career, as he has held prominent positions on shows such as Meet the Press and MTP Daily.
Chuck Todd
Juan Williams
Juan Williams, a Fox News anchor, has guest hosted the extremely popular The O’Reilly Factor multiple times and also writes for The Washington Post, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal. Despite his undeniable success, many of his viewers do not trust him—19% trust him “not at all”. It’s certainly not surprising given that his employment frequently involves playing devil’s advocate for his teammates’ points of view.
Juan Williams
Steve Doocy
Steve Doocy is a familiar face to television fans across America, thanks to his daily morning show Fox & Friends. However, despite his immense fame and accomplishment, high ratings do not automatically equate to credibility. Because 18% of respondents said they didn’t trust Doocy at all. The Guardian reportedly described Doocy and his cohosts as “A consistent train wreck of shameless hackery.” Clearly, it improves ratings but not respect!
Steve Doocy
Chris Hayes
Many Americans like MSNBC’s topical news program All In With Chris Hayes, particularly those with progressive leanings. However, despite his popularity and excellent ratings, Hayes does not rate very high in terms of credibility, with 18% of the vote going to “Not at all”. But Hayes has stated that he no longer cares what others think. “It’s a business that revolves around audience attention,” he told The New Yorker. “And so the weirdly liberating thing is that I’m not thinking in those terms now.”
Chris Hayes
Wolf Blitzer
While many of the news anchors on this list have made their name by being outspoken or somewhat wild card characters, CNN stalwart Wolf Blitzer has somewhat of a different reputation. Because, although many people are recognized for their contentious ideas or wild rants, Blitzer is known for his calm and even-tempered demeanor—which does not always earn him followers. In fact, he is often criticized for being dull or boring, as well as not very credible—with 17% of respondents rating him a “Not at all” in terms of trustworthiness. Poor guy!
Wolf Blitzer
Lawrence O’Donnell
Lawrence O’Donnell does not hold back—he is notorious for being belligerent and engaging in on-air conflicts, and he has even been removed off the air! Prior to becoming a news anchor and broadcaster, O’Donnell wrote and produced for The West Wing and First Monday. Prior to anchoring his own show, The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell, O’Donnell was a regular on Joe Scarborough’s Morning Show, and he didn’t fare much better than him in the polls; the majority result is still a “not at all” with 17% of the vote.
Lawrence O’Donnell
Shephard Smith
Shephard Smith is likely familiar to you from his tenure as chief anchor and managing editor of Fox News Channel’s breaking news division, where he worked for 23 years. He now serves as the principal general news anchor and host of *The News with Shephard Smith. We bet you’re not sure why he left Fox. He told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour that his time on Fox had become “untenable” because of the “falsehoods” and “lies” spewed on the network’s opinion shows. Who would have imagined Fox News was like this? Anyway, it’s undoubtedly what contributed to his low credibility—he scored 16% of votes for “not at all” in terms of trustworthiness.
Shephard Smith
Brian Kilmeade
Is it really surprising that another Fox News anchor has made the “not at all” list in terms of trustworthiness? The co-anchor of Fox’s morning show Fox & Friends and the host of the Fox News Radio programme Kilmeade, who hosts the Brian Kilmeade Show and What Made America Great, is noted for his contentious political beliefs as well as his occasionally harsh and inappropriate comments. Hosting a show called Fox & Friends will not make everyone your friend, and it appears that many people do not believe America is great. Kilmeade isn’t everyone’s favorite, and it’s not surprising that 12% of pollsters said they don’t trust him at all.
Brian Kilmeade
Carson Daly
Carson Daly has become a household name, and even those who do not watch the news are aware of him. Daly worked as a TV presenter for MTV’s Total Request Live in the late 1990s and early 2000s, as well as a DJ for 106.7 KROQ-FM. Daly is most known for hosting Last Call with Carson Daly, the Macy’s Fourth of July fireworks display, and New Year’s Eve with Carson Daly. Of course, he hosts The Voice and co-hosts Today. He’s a frequent presence, so it’s hardly surprising that 16% of respondents chose “a lot” when asked how much they trusted him.
Carson Daly
Erin Burnett
Erin Burnett is known for her distinct style, and she is both intelligent and confident in front of the camera. She previously co-anchored CNBC’s Squawk on the Street and hosted Street Signs; she now anchors CNN’s Erin Burnett OutFront. Burnett has reported from all over the world, including Mali, Afghanistan, Rwanda, Israel, China, and the United Arab Emirates, with the majority of her coverage centered in the Middle East. Burnett will travel anywhere for a good story, which is partly why she is so popular and trusted by audiences. She has 16% of voters who say they trust her “a lot”.
Erin Burnett
John King
John King, CNN’s chief national correspondent and weekday presenter of its roundtable political debate program, worked as an Associated Press journalist before joining the news network. He also appears frequently on the nightly news shows The Situation Room and Anderson Cooper 360°. With strong political opinions and as an election correspondent, King is still widely trusted, with 16% indicating they trusted him “a lot”.
John King
Kate Bolduan
Kate Bolduan has been in the entertainment business since she graduated from college, working at Dateline NBC and NBC Nightly News before joining CNN as a national correspondent for CNN Newsource and hosting State of America with Kate Bolduan. She currently hosts At This Hour with Kate Bolduan. Bolduan is known for presenting breaking news coverage and current events, as well as anchoring the news. She has had many features and occasionally works as a freelance presenter and speaker. She had a high rating in the poll, with 17% of respondents saying they trusted her a lot.
Kate Bolduan
Bret Baier
Another Fox News Channel anchor, Bret Baier, has established himself as a prominent political pundit. The host of Special Report with Bret Baier was hired as the Pentagon Correspondent after covering the attacks on the Pentagon, and he stayed there for five years, making 11 trips to Afghanistan and 13 to Iraq. Baier has garnered numerous accolades for Outstanding Journalism, and 17% of voters said they trusted him “a lot”.
Bret Baier
Stephanie Ruhle
Stephanie Ruhle gained a household name after co-hosting Bloomberg Television shows such as Bloomberg Go. She was also one of three Bloomberg reporters who broke the story of the London Whale, which revealed the trader responsible for the 2012 JPMorgan Chase trading loss. She now anchors Stephanie Ruhle Reports and Velshi & Ruhle. Ruhle has featured a number of high-profile figures throughout her career, including Kobe Bryant, Martha Steward, Sean Combs, and Kanye West, and she is not hesitant to ask difficult questions. It’s most likely why she scored 17% of the vote for trusting her “a lot”.
Stephanie Ruhle
Martha MacCallum
Martha MacCallum rose to prominence as a business news correspondent and anchor for Wall Street Journal Television before moving on to NBC/CNBC and Fox News, where she hosts The Live Desk, America’s Newsroom, and The Story with Martha MacCallum. The latter is a great ratings smash, and MacCallum is also a two-time recipient of the Gracie Award for Women in Journalism, for which she garnered 17% of votes from those who said they trusted her “a lot”.
Martha MacCallum
Katy Tur
Katy Tur is an NBC News veteran who has reported for Early Today, NBC Nightly News, Meet the Press, MSNBC, and The Weather Channel. Journalism is in her blood; she is the daughter of two journalists. Tur has covered numerous high-profile topics, including the March 2008 crane collapse in Manhattan, the killing of Corey Monteith, and the search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370. It’s no surprise that Tur is considered as one of the most reliable news anchors, with 17% of respondents saying they trust her “a lot”.
Katy Tur
Ari Melber
Ari Melber began by writing political pieces for various news sources, and MSNBC took notice and invited him to guest host before naming him chief legal correspondent. His show, The Beat with Ari Melber, is number one in the 6 p.m. ratings, with an average of 2.6 million people per night, outperforming CNN and Fox News. One of his most popular features is that he employs hip-hop songs to describe political or legal problems, and Vanity Fair even labeled him the “secret fourth Beastie Boy”. It’s not surprising that he won 17% of the votes from those who said they trusted her “a lot”.
Ari Melber
Jeff Glor
Jeff Glor has formerly anchored the CBS Evening News and CBS Sunday Morning. When it was reported that he was leaving the former, many were saddened, but they were relieved when he began co-hosting CBS Saturday Morning and continuing to serve as a CBS News special reporter. The Emmy-winning anchor is a fan favorite, with 17% of voters indicating they trusted him “a lot” with their credibility.
Jeff Glor
Norah O’Donnell
Norah O’Donnell, a former co-anchor of CBS This Morning, Chief White House Correspondent for CBS News, and substitute host for CBS’s Face the Nation, replaced Jeff Glor on CBS Evening News. She is not just an anchor for CBS Evening News, but also a correspondent for 60 Minutes, where she is the program’s third female nightly anchor. O’Donnell is a two-time Emmy winner, and Washingtonian Magazine named her one of Washington’s 100 most powerful women. The honored lady receives 18% of pollsters’ “a lot” trust.
Norah O’Donnell
Shannon Bream
Did you know Shannon Bream, the host of Fox News At Night, is a pageant queen? In college, she won Miss Virginia and Miss America, and she utilized her pageant scholarship money to pay for law school! We’re delighted Bream changed careers and switched to television news, and so are the viewers. The blonde beauty has a face made for television, and she has won viewers over with her honesty and openness—which is why she scored 18% of the votes for trusting her “a lot”.
Shannon Bream