Divided on facts and pessimistic about the world, Canadians still trust journalists

TORONTO, Oct. 27, 2026 /CNW/ -- Canadians are placing their trust in journalism at a time when most see the country divided over basic facts and the world getting worse, a new national poll by the Canadian Journalism Foundation (CJF), released for Media Literacy Week, finds. The study, conducted by Canada Pulse Insights, reveals that three-quarters (75 per cent say people in Canada often disagree not only about opinions but about the basic facts of an issue) and eight in 10 (79 per cent) think the world as a whole is getting worse.

Against that backdrop, eight in 10 Canadians trust Canadian national news organizations (81 per cent) and local news organizations (81 per cent) to provide accurate information about important public issues. Trust runs higher, not lower, among those who see division and decline: 82 per cent of those who say Canadians often disagree about basic facts trust national news organizations, compared with 76 per cent of those who say this happens not very often or never, and 83 per cent of those who think the world is getting worse do so, compared with 78 per cent of those who say it is getting better or staying the same.

Accuracy is also what Canadians most want from journalism: seven in 10 (72 per cent) rank reporting facts accurately among its three most important roles, half (50 per cent) rank it first and three-quarters (76 per cent) of those who rank it say Canadian news media do it well.

Other key findings include:

• Three-quarters (74 per cent) of Canadians are confident they can tell accurate information from false, but only three in 10 (30 per cent) are confident the average Canadian can.
• One in four trust social media creators (24 per cent) or AI tools (26 per cent) to provide accurate information, and nearly nine in 10 (88 per cent) want it disclosed when AI helps produce a news story.
• Three-quarters (76 per cent) actively check a questionable claim, most often by seeing whether other reputable outlets are reporting it.
• Fewer than half (44 per cent) of those who rank holding the powerful to account among journalism's top roles say the media do that well.
• The average Canadian draws on 3.7 news sources a day.

Breaking Out the Study Results

Three-quarters (75 per cent) of Canadians say people in Canada often disagree about basic facts, not just opinions; eight in 10 (79 per cent) think the world is getting worse

Three-quarters (75 per cent) of Canadians feel that people in Canada often disagree not only about opinions or values but about the basic facts of an issue: 24 per cent very often and 51 per cent somewhat often. This view is most common among Canadians aged 18 to 34 (79 per cent) and, by region, in Alberta (82 per cent), and least common in Québec (68 per cent).

Based on the news and information they see and hear, eight in 10 (79 per cent) say the world as a whole is getting worse, a slim majority (52 per cent) say their province is and almost half (49 per cent) say Canada is. The outlook is brightest closest to home: 36 per cent say their local community is getting worse. One-third (32 per cent) say there is less news coverage of their local community than five years ago.

Eight in 10 (81 per cent) Canadians trust Canadian national and local news organizations; one in four trust social media creators (24 per cent) or AI tools (26 per cent)

Asked how much they trust each of nine sources to provide accurate information about important public issues, eight in 10 (81 per cent) Canadians trust Canadian national news organizations and journalists, and the same proportion (81 per cent) trust local news organizations and journalists in their area. Experts and academics (78 per cent), international news agencies (74 per cent) and friends and family (73 per cent) follow, then governments and public institutions (65 per cent). Fewer than four in 10 trust elected politicians (37 per cent). Taken together, nearly nine in 10 (87 per cent) trust national or local news organizations.

Trust runs higher among Canadians who see division. Among those who say people in Canada often disagree about basic facts, 82 per cent trust national news organizations and 82 per cent local ones, compared with 76 per cent and 75 per cent of those who say this happens not very often or never.

Trust in national news organizations is highest among Canadians aged 55 and over (88 per cent) and, by region, in Québec and Atlantic Canada (87 per cent each), and lowest in Alberta (69 per cent).

Seven in 10 (72 per cent) rank accurate reporting among journalism's most important roles, and three-quarters (76 per cent) of them say the media do it well; fewer than half (44 per cent) say the same of holding the powerful to account

Asked to rank the three most important roles for journalists and news organizations today, seven in 10 (72 per cent) Canadians put reporting facts accurately in their top three, and half (50 per cent) rank it first. Holding governments, corporations and other powerful people accountable (49 per cent) and identifying and exposing false or misleading information (46 per cent) follow.

The verdict splits on the two watchdog roles: 47 per cent of those who prioritize exposing false or misleading information say the media do it well and 45 per cent not well, and on holding the powerful accountable, 51 per cent say the media are doing not very well or not at all well against 44 per cent who say well.

Three-quarters (74 per cent) of Canadians are confident they can tell accurate information from false, but only three in 10 (30 per cent) say the same of the average Canadian

Asked how confident they are that they can tell the difference between information that is accurate and information that is false or misleading, three-quarters (74 per cent) of Canadians say they are confident; 23 per cent are not. Asked the same question about the average Canadian, confidence falls to 30 per cent, and two-thirds (66 per cent) are not confident.

Confidence depends on where the information comes from. Three-quarters (77 per cent) are confident they can tell accurate from false in news reports from established news organizations, but confidence drops to 46 per cent for videos or commentary on YouTube, podcasts and other online platforms and 41 per cent for information shared on social media.

Three-quarters (76 per cent) of Canadians actively check a questionable claim, most often by seeing whether other reputable outlets are reporting it (23 per cent)

When a news story or claim seems surprising, important or questionable, 23 per cent of Canadians first see whether other reputable news sources are reporting the same information, 21 per cent search online for more, 12 per cent look for the original source and 11 per cent check an official source. Only 5 per cent use a fact-checking service and 4 per cent ask an AI chatbot.

The full findings can be found on the CJF website.

About the study

This survey was conducted with 2,239 Canadian adults by Canada Pulse Insights for the Canadian Journalism Foundation, fielded from Sept. 25 to Oct. 9, 2026, through an online panel platform managed by Sago. The data were weighted according to Statistics Canada population estimates by region, age within region and gender. The margin of error for a comparable probability-based random sample of the same size is ±2.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20; it is larger for subgroups. Respondents were given the choice to answer in English or French. Residents of the territories were not sampled.

Detailed survey findings, methodology and charts are available on the Canada Pulse Insights website.

About the Canadian Journalism Foundation

Founded in 1990, the Canadian Journalism Foundation (CJF) fosters excellence in journalism through the support and recognition of emerging and experienced journalists and their news organizations and enhances the public's understanding of the role of fact-based journalism in Canadian democracy. The CJF advances this mission through awards, fellowships, research initiatives and its J-Talks public speakers series, which convene conversations on the ongoing challenges and opportunities facing journalism.

About Canada Pulse Insights

Canada Pulse Insights is a Canadian public opinion research firm specializing in national and regional studies on public policy, media, and consumer behaviour. The firm adheres to the standards of the Canadian Research Insights Council and provides transparent reporting of methods and findings.

SOURCE The Canadian Journalism Foundation

For further information, please email Natalie Turvey, CJF president and executive director, at [email protected], or John Wright, CEO, Canada Pulse Insights at [email protected] and 416-700-4218.