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Kiwis' trust in news picks up slightly after six years of decline

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Wed, 15 Apr 2026, 8:57am
(Photo / Stock)
(Photo / Stock)

Kiwis' trust in news picks up slightly after six years of decline

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Wed, 15 Apr 2026, 8:57am

There’s still much room for improvement for media outlets to earn back public trust.  

AUT's annual Trust in News reports shows trust in news has increased five-points from last year to 37%.  

But news avoidance has increased five points to 78%, with respondents saying it's too depressing, too opinionated, or not relevant. 

Report co-author Merja Myllylahti told Mike Hosking trust is a tricky concept to pin down, so the report looks at people’s perception of the news.  

She says they look at perceptions of international news, local news, as well as social media, and while it can be tricky to know exactly what people come across, the upside is that things are improving.

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