Poll claims most Canadians “trust” the CBC — do you?
The survey also found a stark generational divide. Sixty-five per cent of seniors said they trust the news media, compared with just 43 per cent of Canadians aged 18 to 34.
Author: Alex Dhaliwal
A new Pollara study alleges that CBC still registers 71 per cent trust on paper, yet the broader picture is far more divided: just 51 per cent of Canadians say they trust the news media overall, 35 per cent say they don’t, and the gap between Liberal and Conservative voters has widened to 54 points
Pollara’s fourth annual Trust in Media study found Canadians hold mixed views of the news media altogether.
The Weather Network topped the trust rankings at 78 per cent, followed by Radio-Canada at 79 per cent, CBC at 71 per cent, CTV at 68 per cent and Global at 65 per cent.
The survey also found a stark generational divide. Sixty-five per cent of seniors said they trust the news media, compared with just 43 per cent of Canadians aged 18 to 34.
“This marks a shift from historical Pollara polling included in this report, which shows younger people were more trusting than older people of the news media back in the 1990s,” the study writes.
Views of the media have also become more polarized, with the trust gap between Liberal and Conservative voters widening from 29 points in 1992 to 54 points today.
Conservative voters are less trusting of nearly all outlets except Fox News and Rebel News, with the largest Liberal–Conservative trust gap seen at CBC (69 points).
Critics have accused the CBC of having a Liberal bias for years, with Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre vowing to defund the broadcaster if elected.
In an exclusive interview with Juno News, Poilievre said the legacy media protects Prime Minister Mark Carney from “any kind of tough questions or scrutiny.”
He specifically called the CBC the “worst example,” given its $1.4B annual handout from taxpayers.
Poilievre argued that taxpayer funding creates an inherent bias in legacy media against Conservatives, who advocate reducing or eliminating those subsidies, adding that most mainstream outlets largely echo Liberal messaging.
Last Wednesday, the Senate transport and communications committee called for outside experts to regularly review CBC/Radio-Canada news content to assess whether it’s “fair and balanced.”
Earlier this year, CBC received a flood of complaints after former host Travis Dhanraj told MPs he was instructed to keep Conservatives off the air. Internal records show one manager acknowledged, “We don’t hit the mark in every story.”
A Blacklock’s report detailed strong public reaction to Dhanraj’s testimony, with largely negative views of the state broadcaster.
“You guys are awful. Your bias is obvious,” wrote one viewer. “The truth is finally out. Canadians have lost trust in CBC,” said another.
A third called it “a travesty” for CBC to take taxpayer money while promoting only a Liberal viewpoint.
On Mar. 10, Dhanraj told the heritage committee he was later disciplined, taken off air, and eventually forced out after raising concerns about editorial interference.
He faced pushback after interviewing Conservative Deputy Leader Melissa Lantsman and said he was barred from contacting Poilievre.
The complaints peaked during the 2025 federal election, when Ombudsman Maxime Bertrand reported more complaints than the previous three months combined, largely tied to the leaders’ debates.
During the French leaders’ debate, Rosemary Barton and David Cochrane described Rebel News and Juno News as “very, very right-wing” and accused the former of spreading misinformation, with Cochrane questioning its participation despite court rulings affirming its right to attend.
Bertrand acknowledged concerns that CBC’s coverage can appear self-serving when reporting on itself, but stopped short of endorsing them, describing the backlash as an “orchestrated campaign.”
In an apparent deflection, broadcaster journalists alleged “hurtful remarks” from conservative politicians and rival media.
A $68,640 Canadian Heritage–funded study of 95 journalists (41 per cent from CBC and other public broadcasters) found common “credibility attacks,” including claims of political bias (56 per cent), incompetence (54 per cent), unethical behaviour (46 per cent), and criminal activity (19 per cent).
A related report, Not Just Words, cited rising online hostility toward the CBC from right-wing outlets and YouTube channels, but did not identify any specific groups or individuals.