Radio Is Most Trusted Media, Study Finds

Written By

Liz Iversen

Published On

Friday, Feb 12
vintage radio with hearts
Radio is the most trusted medium, according to a Katz analysis of the latest MRI-Simmons COVID-19 Consumer Insights Study. 67% of adults rate radio as trustworthy or very trustworthy, surpassing newspapers (66%), network TV (62%), cable TV (61%), computer internet (57%), and mobile internet (51%), and social media, which came in last place at 32%.

Radio was found to be the most trusted medium for both the average person and also for super fans and super users of other media. “Regardless of how much additional media people consume, radio consistently holds on to consumer trust,” Katz Radio Group says in the latest edition of its “Sound Answers” insights piece. Heavy users of TV, the internet, and social media all consider radio to be more trustworthy than the respective media they consume heavily.

The results aligned with a recent Entercom-commissioned study by market research firm Alter Agents, which found that podcasting and broadcast radio (delivered over the air and via streaming) were the most trusted media sources of those tested, which also included TV, Google, print, social media, YouTube, and digital audio.

Want to advertise your brand on a medium that provides trust and certainty? Contact SMI to get your brand’s message on audio today.