In a survey of 5,166 U.S. adults, 80% said criticism from news organizations helps stop political leaders from doing things they should not do. That view reaches across party lines: 89% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents agreed, along with 73% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents.
The findings come from a Pew Research Center survey conducted Aug. 24-30, 2026. Pew has asked Americans about the news media’s role in holding public officials accountable since the mid-1980s. The latest results suggest that, even as views of the press can differ sharply, most people still see public scrutiny as an important check on political power.
The overall share who said news criticism helps keep leaders in check rose to 80%, from 75% in September 2025. By contrast, 16% said such criticism keeps political leaders from doing their jobs. The survey was conducted through Pew’s American Trends Panel and was designed to represent the U.S. adult population.
The party breakdown has shifted in a notable way. In September 2024, during the final year of President Joe Biden’s administration, 67% of Republicans said media criticism helped keep political leaders in check. Under President Donald Trump, that share is now 73%. Among Democrats, support also rose, from 81% in 2024 to 89% in the latest survey.
Historically, party views of the media’s watchdog role have often moved with who holds the presidency. Supporters of a party have tended to be more likely to say the press keeps leaders in check when the president belongs to the other party. The current Republican figures do not fit that pattern neatly, since Republican agreement has risen despite a Republican president. Pew also reported that views did not differ meaningfully by age or political ideology within each party.
The results arrive alongside a modest rise in trust in information from both national and local news organizations since 2025, among Republicans as well as Democrats. That marks a change after years of falling trust, especially among Republicans. The survey does not explain why attitudes have shifted, but the figures show that a large majority across the political divide continues to value reporting that scrutinizes those in power.
For now, the central finding is striking in its simplicity: four out of five U.S. adults say news criticism helps prevent political leaders from crossing lines. Pew’s repeated questions over decades offer a way to track whether that belief holds as parties, presidents and the media landscape change.