NEW YORK—A new survey from Video Advertising Bureau (VAB) finds that TV news remains the most consumer, most trust news source and that key consumer groups for advertisers are more likely to turn to TV rather than social media for breaking news.
The new report called “That’s The Way It Is: How TV News Provides Scale, Attention & Engagement For High-Value Audiences” explores viewership of TV news versus other media platforms among three key audiences valued by advertisers: adults 35-54, individuals in $100K+ households and full-time employed adults.
The report—based on findings from a December 2025 survey conducted in partnership with Dynata of 2,319 U.S. adults—found that about half of these audience cohorts — 52% of those aged 35-54, 46% individuals in households making more than $100,000 a year and 56% of full-time employed adults — are watching more TV news compared to the previous year.
They are also much more likely to go to TV news first over social media for breaking news coverage and updates on major news stories. TV news is also their top source by far for vital information that personally impacts their daily lives, like weather and traffic.
“Multiscreen TV news plays a central role in keeping influential audiences informed,” said Jason Wiese, executive vice president of strategic insights and measurement, VAB. “From breaking headlines and defining political moments to local community updates, multiscreen TV news keeps key audiences connected to the stories shaping their world. In a media environment filled with misinformation and noise, it continues to stand out for its quality, reliability, accuracy and integrity.”
“The results underscore the value of multiscreen TV news as a credible, brand-safe platform for reaching influential audiences at scale, especially in comparison with social platforms and technologies like AI,” added Wiese. “Across linear and streaming, multiscreen TV news offers advertisers an environment that pairs trust and attention with meaningful consumer engagement and action.”
The VAB researchers described the other key findings as follows:
- Viewers are more than twice as likely to have a higher opinion of the advertisers in local TV news. Additionally, high-income households and employed viewers are more than 2x more likely to buy from advertisers seen during national TV news.
- Collectively, households with an income of $100K+ are almost 13x more likely to trust TV news than social media platforms — with TV the most trusted news source as both local and national TV far outpace search, social media and AI across these audiences.
- Social media is seen as a far greater source of false information — with 46% of A35–54, 58% of HHI $100K+ and 50% of full-time employed adults saying it is the most likely to provide fake or misleading information, compared to 20%, 13% and 17% who say TV.
- TV offers a range of engaging political content throughout the election season, and that heightened viewer engagement increases the likelihood of buying from advertisers that are adjacent to political programming or political ads. In fact, high-income households are 114% more likely to buy from advertisers during a political debate or town hall.
The full report—which includes in-depth data, charts and analysis—here.
