Voters trust TV news over AI and social media, VAB survey finds

The Video Promoting Bureau launched on March 17, 2026 an in depth report exhibiting that American voters throughout each social gathering affiliation belief tv information excess of social media, serps, or synthetic intelligence when consuming political info. The findings, drawn from a December 2025 survey of two,319 U.S. adults carried out in partnership with analysis agency Dynata, carry direct implications for political advertisers, media planners, and any marketer searching for to grasp the place credible audiences really spend their consideration.

The report, titled The Lead Story: How Multiscreen TV Drives Cross-Partisan Engagement for Political Ad Campaigns, examined behaviors and sentiment throughout 5 distinct teams: potential voters, non-voters, Republicans, Democrats, and Independents. Pattern sizes had been fastidiously segmented, with 1,514 voter respondents, 680 non-voter respondents, 636 Republican respondents, 612 Democrat respondents, and 546 Unbiased respondents. The methodology relied on the Dynata panel and outlined potential voters as registered voters, these planning to vote in 2026 midterm or native elections, or routine mail-in poll customers. Non-voters had been outlined by an specific mixture of non-registration, acknowledged non-participation, and absence of mail-in voting habits.

All through the report, VAB makes use of the time period multiscreen TV to explain the mixed ecosystem of ad-supported linear and streaming tv – not any single platform, however the full continuum from cable information to ad-supported streaming providers like Tubi and Pluto TV.

Belief patterns are placing throughout social gathering traces

The numbers on media belief are laborious to disregard. In accordance with the report, potential voters are nearly 9 instances extra more likely to rank TV information as their most trusted supply than they’re to rank social media platforms. Breaking this down by political affiliation, 47% of Republicans, 43% of Democrats, and 47% of Independents named native TV information as their single most trusted supply. Nationwide TV information got here second throughout all teams.

The place does AI sit on this hierarchy? Precisely on the backside. In accordance with the survey information, 50% of whole respondents ranked AI instruments reminiscent of ChatGPT lowest for belief when evaluating information sources. That determine holds throughout voting teams and social gathering affiliations with out significant variation. Solely 5% of potential voters, 5% of Republicans, 5% of Democrats, and 5% of Independents named AI as their most trusted information supply. For a advertising neighborhood more and more all in favour of AI-generated content material and AI-powered media, this quantity deserves cautious consideration. IAB research published in January 2026 equally documented that 39% of Gen Z shoppers really feel negatively towards AI promoting, with shoppers considerably extra probably than advertisers to explain AI-using manufacturers as manipulative.

Social media fared solely marginally higher than AI on belief, with 9% of potential voters, 9% of Republicans, 8% of Democrats, and 10% of Independents naming social platforms as their high supply. Engines like google obtained 11% amongst potential voters. The hole between tv and each different class just isn’t marginal – it’s structural.

How voters use these platforms day after day

The survey requested a extra granular behavioral query: the place do voters really go to remain knowledgeable about key nationwide political points just like the economic system? The reply is TV information, persistently and by a large margin. In accordance with the report, 64% of potential voters use TV information for this function, in comparison with 66% of Republicans, 68% of Democrats, and 59% of Independents. Social media posts – outlined within the survey as Instagram, TikTok, X, and Fb – got here second in every group at 40%, 39%, 37%, and 39% respectively. Dialogue-based social media reminiscent of Reddit, X, and Bluesky registered far decrease, between 13% and 18% relying on the group.

Potential voters are 60% extra probably to make use of TV information to remain knowledgeable than social media, in line with the VAB evaluation. That differential issues to advertisers as a result of it describes not simply choice however routine conduct – the channels the place voters really type opinions earlier than performing.

The first discovery channel for political candidates follows the identical sample. In accordance with the survey, 43% of potential voters first discovered about political candidates and their views via TV or streaming, in comparison with 25% via social media and 11% via YouTube. Amongst Republicans and Democrats, the TV determine rose to 47%, whereas Independents confirmed 38%. The survey outlined TV right here as linear TV or streaming mixed.

Challenge-based messaging resonates greater than partisan identification

One of many extra consequential findings for political marketing campaign technique entails the connection between coverage points and social gathering identification. In accordance with the survey information, 65% of potential voters say they vote primarily based on the problem somewhat than social gathering affiliation. The determine amongst Independents was 78% – the very best of any group. Republicans and Democrats each registered 58%. What does this imply for political advert codecs? In accordance with the report, 75% of potential voters, 72% of Republicans, 75% of Democrats, and 68% of Independents desire political advertisements that target points somewhat than on a candidate instantly. Non-voters expressed this choice at 46%. The distinction with candidate-focused advertisements is stark: solely 16% of potential voters desire candidate-focused advertisements versus 75% who need issue-focused messaging.

This discovering reshapes how message framing ought to work in political promoting. An advertiser capable of place issue-based messages inside credible, trusted information environments reaches audiences which are predisposed to have interaction with that type of communication.

Satisfaction with TV information stays excessive throughout dimensions

The VAB survey probed satisfaction with a number of attributes of TV information, and the outcomes persistently favored the medium. Relating to the accuracy of TV information experiences, 69% of potential voters expressed satisfaction, in comparison with 70% of non-voters, 65% of Republicans, 75% of Democrats, and 65% of Independents. On journalism high quality, satisfaction measured 67% amongst potential voters and peaked at 76% amongst Democrats.

Two attributes confirmed notably sturdy satisfaction scores. Velocity of breaking information protection on TV drew satisfaction from 81% of potential voters, 76% of non-voters, 78% of Republicans, 83% of Democrats, and 77% of Independents. Dissatisfaction on this dimension was minimal, starting from 4% to 7%. Area people info from native TV information earned satisfaction charges of roughly 79% throughout all teams, with dissatisfaction between 6% and 11%. These numbers recommend that no matter criticism tv information receives in broader cultural discourse, viewers who use it are extremely glad with its practical efficiency.

On the query of unbiased perspective – admittedly a extra contested space – satisfaction remained greater than dissatisfaction throughout all teams. Amongst potential voters, 53% had been glad with the unbiased perspective of TV information whereas 17% had been dissatisfied. Amongst Democrats, satisfaction with unbiased TV information perspective reached 61%, the very best of any group.

The notion of social media as a vector for false or deceptive info is widespread and constant throughout the political spectrum. In accordance with the survey, 51% of potential voters named social media because the most certainly supply of pretend or deceptive info. Amongst Democrats, this determine reached 55%; amongst Republicans, 45%; and amongst Independents, 51%. In contrast, tv – outlined on this query as broadcast, cable, or satellite tv for pc – was cited by solely 19% of potential voters, 24% of Republicans, 13% of Democrats, and 18% of Independents.

Potential voters are nearly thrice extra more likely to imagine social media platforms will present pretend or deceptive info in comparison with TV, in line with the report. This notion hole is instantly related to the promoting business. A December 2025 IAB Europe report covered by PPC Land documented that misinformation and polarization had emerged as acute issues within the World Financial Discussion board’s International Dangers Report, whereas additionally noting that information promoting produces superior marketing campaign efficiency but publishers proceed to face financial stress. The VAB information supplies consumer-level proof for what that dynamic appears like from the viewers facet.

Multiscreen TV habits minimize throughout partisan divides

Regardless of the vary of political affiliations represented, TV and streaming subscription patterns are surprisingly uniform. Potential voters present 42% subscribing to paid TV providers, 74% to paid streaming providers, and 47% to free ad-supported streaming providers. Non-voter figures are barely decrease at 21%, 60%, and 44% respectively. Throughout social gathering traces, paid streaming subscriptions are clustered between 69% and 75%, with Democrats highest at 75%. Free ad-supported streaming providers, reminiscent of Tubi and Pluto TV, hover between 43% and 48% throughout Republican, Democrat, and Unbiased teams.

The promoting attain implication is direct. In accordance with the report, 9 out of ten individuals who subscribe to any paid streaming service – no matter voting standing or social gathering affiliation – may be reached by advertisements via these providers. Particularly, 92% of potential voters who subscribe to paid streaming have entry to at the very least some ad-supported tiers, in comparison with 91% of non-voters, 92% of Republicans, 90% of Democrats, and 90% of Independents. The uniformity of that 90%+ determine throughout all 5 teams underscores the sensible attain declare.

Voters watch native and nationwide TV information at considerably greater charges than non-voters. In accordance with the survey, 61% of potential voters sometimes watch native TV information in a given week, in comparison with 38% of non-voters – a spot of 23 share factors. For nationwide TV information, the hole is wider: 57% of potential voters watch weekly versus 25% of non-voters. For advertisers centered on reaching individuals who vote, these numbers establish TV information viewership as one of the vital dependable behavioral predictors of voter engagement.

When respondents had been requested which platform makes political advertisements really feel extra genuine, tv received decisively. Potential voters are twice as more likely to really feel political advertisements on TV are extra genuine in comparison with social media advertisements, in line with the survey information – 37% mentioned TV advertisements really feel extra genuine versus 19% for social media. Republicans and Democrats each confirmed a two-times-more-likely response sample. Independents confirmed a 75% greater probability of perceiving TV political advertisements as extra genuine than social media equivalents.

This notion has downstream behavioral penalties. In accordance with the survey, potential voters who noticed a political advert on TV took a number of follow-on actions: 30% visited the candidate’s social media profile, 24% checked voter registration standing or polling station info, 16% used a voice assistant to be taught extra, and 12% scanned a QR code or texted a quantity from the advert. All of those response charges fall considerably for non-voters.

The halo impact extends to non-political advertisers

The belief that TV information generates doesn’t stay siloed inside political messaging. Potential voters are 42% extra probably than to not buy from advertisers adjoining to a breaking information story on native TV information, in line with the report. Throughout nationwide TV information, 23% of potential voters mentioned they might be extra more likely to buy from advertisers showing throughout that programming, in comparison with 16% who mentioned much less probably.

Placement adjoining to political programming generates related raise. Potential voters are 50% extra probably than to not buy from advertisers showing throughout a televised political debate or city corridor. Proper after a political advert, 21% of potential voters mentioned they might be extra more likely to buy, towards 18% who mentioned much less probably. These figures recommend a halo impact the place the credibility of the information context transfers, at the very least partially, to business advertisers sharing that setting.

For advertising professionals, this information connects to broader discussions about model security and context results in promoting. A 2024 PPC Land article on Effectv’s multiscreen political ad tools documented how the promoting division of Comcast already positioned multiscreen TV as a automobile for reaching voters throughout all screens, noting the issue of attaining cohesive attain and not using a unified strategy to linear and streaming stock. The VAB report supplies the demand-side information to accompany that supply-side argument.

Sports activities and leisure lengthen attain past information

The report notes that attain potential just isn’t confined to information programming alone. In accordance with the survey, 60% of potential voters watch sports activities programming in a typical week, 64% watch drama, 53% watch true crime or thriller content material, and 40% watch actuality programming. Republicans index highest for sports activities at 62%, whereas Democrats index highest for drama at 68%. These numbers matter for political advertisers trying to construct frequency with out relying solely on information adjacency. Regulation of digital political advertising in the EU, documented by PPC Land in July 2025, has already pushed some European campaigns towards conventional media channels – a dynamic that makes understanding TV’s cross-genre attain more and more sensible information for world advertisers.

Jason Wiese, EVP of Strategic Insights and Measurement at VAB, summarized the strategic place within the press launch accompanying the report: “TV information delivers the dimensions, belief, credibility and authenticity that no different media can for each political and non-political advertisers.”

Timeline

• December 2025 – VAB and Dynata area the Media Consumption and Political Sentiment survey throughout 2,319 U.S. adults 18+, overlaying 5 distinct voting and social gathering affiliation teams.
• August 12, 2024 – Effectv, Comcast’s promoting gross sales division, launches a multiscreen TV advertising suite for political campaigns, together with a partnership with Dynata for model raise insights – the identical analysis agency that carried out the VAB survey.
• July 28, 2025 – EU regulations effectively end digital political advertising by major platforms, redirecting marketing campaign budgets towards conventional media together with tv.
• December 17, 2025 – IAB Europe publishes a social impact report documenting how digital promoting is fragmenting information funding, whereas concurrently exhibiting information adjacency outperforms marketing campaign baselines.
• January 16, 2026 – IAB research finds Gen Z trust in AI advertising has fallen sharply, with 39% of Gen Z feeling negatively towards AI advertisements – in step with VAB’s discovering that AI ranks lowest for belief as a information supply.
• March 17, 2026 – VAB publishes The Lead Story: How Multiscreen TV Drives Cross-Partisan Engagement for Political Advert Campaigns, primarily based on the December 2025 Dynata survey.

Abstract

Who: The Video Promoting Bureau (VAB), a commerce group whose members embrace premium multiscreen TV suppliers and distributors, launched the report. The analysis was carried out by Dynata, a first-party information and analysis agency.

What: A 39-page report primarily based on a survey of two,319 U.S. adults, documenting that voters throughout social gathering traces belief TV information considerably greater than social media, serps, or AI for political info. The report quantifies media consumption, belief hierarchies, advert choice constructions, and downstream buy conduct linked to TV information adjacency.

When: The survey was fielded in December 2025. The report was launched on March 17, 2026. The press launch was distributed on March 18, 2026.

The place: The analysis covers U.S. adults nationally, with regional distribution skewing towards the Central area. The report was launched from New York, New York by VAB.

Why: With U.S. midterm elections scheduled for 2026, the report addresses the place political advertisers ought to place budgets to succeed in voters credibly and broadly. The info additionally has implications for non-political advertisers, for the reason that belief halo from TV information extends to business advertisers sharing that setting.