Most Americans – including majorities of both Republicans and Democrats – say criticism from news organizations keeps political leaders from doing things that they shouldn’t, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted in August.

Overall, 80% of Americans express this view, up from 75% in September 2025. Another 16% say such criticism keeps political leaders from doing their job.

Pew Research Center did this analysis to better understand Americans’ attitudes toward the news media and how they’re changing over time.

We have asked Americans about their views of the news media’s role in holding public officials accountable since the mid-1980s. This analysis looks at current attitudes and how they have changed over time.

We surveyed 5,166 U.S. adults from Aug. 24 to 30, 2026. Everyone who took part in this survey is a member of the Center’s American Trends Panel. The survey represents the views of the full U.S. adult population.

Here are our survey questions, the detailed responses and the methodology.

Large majorities among Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents (89%) and Republicans and Republican leaners (73%) say the news media’s so-called “watchdog role” helps keep political leaders in check. Views do not vary meaningfully by age or political ideology within the parties.

Since the early 2000s, Republicans’ and Democrats’ views of the news media’s watchdog role have often shifted depending on which party controls the presidency. Supporters of each party tend to become more likely to say the media helps keep political leaders in check when the president is a member of the other party.

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