Produced by the Auckland University of Technology Centre for Journalism, Media and Democracy (JMAD) the researchers’ survey found RNZ was the most trusted of 20 national and local news brands, including, print, digital and broadcast media, by a small margin, with a mean trust score of 6.2 out of 10.
The Otago Daily Times scored 6 out of 10, with TVNZ not far behind on 5.9.
A newcomer in the survey, the Waikato Times, ranked fourth-equal along with Newsroom, The Listener and Interest.co.nz — all on 5.8.
The results were drawn from Horizon Research’s national online survey of 1040 New Zealanders, aged 18 years or over, between February 10 and 17, 2026.
The JMAD report said New Zealanders’ trust in news showed trust in news in general rebounding after stabilising in 2025 following major falls in trust over the previous five years.
It reported that after six years of decline, in 2026, trust in news improved significantly.
New Zealanders’ general trust in news increased from 32% in 2025 to 37%, and about 50% of people trusted the news they consumed themselves.
“As social media and video platforms are flooded with influencers, disinformation, and AI content, people are increasingly using news media for information verification. That is promising,” said the report’s co-author Dr Merja Myllylahti.
The 2026 trust survey also examined New Zealanders’ attitudes to editorial independence.
It showed about 43% of New Zealanders believed interference by media owners/boards or managers with editorial decisions would decrease their trust in the media, with 27% considering cancellation of subscription/payment if that happens.
Furthermore, 46% of those surveyed were extremely or very concerned about politicians publicly discrediting news.
“New Zealanders are sending a clear message to media owners and politicians, telling them not to interfere with editorial independence or the credibility of news media in public,” said Dr Myllylahti.
Co-author Dr Greg Treadwell said trust levels were still alarmingly low and many of the accusations against journalists from earlier research – of political bias and producing opinion rather than news – remained.
But this year’s report also showed many New Zealanders valued professional journalism, including its commitment to accuracy and other ethical standards, he said.
There was a sense from many people they wanted to push back at online narratives that you could not trust the news media, he said.
- Allied Media
