Canadians' trust in journalism continues to plummet

New polling data from Statistics Canada reveals that trust in news media has hit an all-time low of 23% among Canadians aged 25–34. The lowest number of Canadians who responded with "a good deal of confidence" in the media was in Alberta.

DATA @StatCan_Eng show trust in @NewsMediaCanada runs as low as 23%. Skepticism over "journalistic" integrity coincided with $595M bailout: "Trust in Canada's media has never been lower."  https://t.co/qQIWzroMEP #cdnpoli pic.twitter.com/rIBMcrAj6W

— Blacklock's Reporter (@mindingottawa) November 15, 2023

The Canadian Social Survey (CSS) indicated that only 31% of Canadians expressed a "good or great deal of confidence" in the media. Canadians have more trust in Parliament (32%), the courts (46%), the school system (47%) and the police (62%).

According to Blacklock's Reporter, which published the survey findings Wednesday morning, Western Canadians have the least trust in journalism:

Canadians with a “good or great deal of confidence” in reporters numbered as few as 24 percent in Alberta followed by Manitoba (25 percent), Saskatchewan (29 percent), Ontario and New Brunswick (30 percent), British Columbia and Nova Scotia (31 percent), Newfoundland and Labrador (33 percent), Québec (39 percent) and Prince Edward Island (42 percent).

Canadians' plummeting trust in news agencies coincides with the drop in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's polling numbers.

New Abacus poll out. Canadians despise Trudeau. And that number has jumped in the past week.

His only remaining friends are Hamas supporters and the CBC (but I repeat myself). pic.twitter.com/Uxyc9l1RQo

— Ezra Levant 🍁🚛 (@ezralevant) November 15, 2023

According to recent Abacus Polling data, only 25% of Canadians have a positive impression of Trudeau.

Canadians rate media as less trustworthy than politicians or police, according to new @StatCan_eng data. Decline in confidence in #cdnmedia coincided with $595 million bailout. https://t.co/L5FwTsMgkZ @CdnHeritage @PascaleStOnge_ @pablorodriguez #cdnpoli pic.twitter.com/hQon2dj4oe

— Holly Doan (@hollyanndoan) November 15, 2023

In 2018, the Trudeau government offered Canadian media organizations a comprehensive $600 million bailout.

Trudeau brought in his stupid link tax on social media companies because he wants to bailout the failing Canadian news media. Social media rationally responded to this disincentive by not allowing links. So I would say Trudeau is "prioritizing" a corporate bailout. https://t.co/IZhITuO5R5

— J.J. McCullough (@JJ_McCullough) August 22, 2023

More recently, Trudeau forced social media companies to pay media companies through Bill C-18 if platform users share news links, resulting in Facebook's parent company, Meta, blocking access to Canadian news.