WASHINGTON, D.C. — Americans broadly describe freedom of the press as an important democratic principle, but a new Pew Research Center study shows substantial disagreement over where its limits should be drawn.
The Pew-Knight Initiative surveyed 3,488 U.S. adults from June 22 through June 28, 2026, and also conducted focus groups earlier in the year. The research found that respondents commonly defined press freedom as the ability to report or publish information without government censorship or outside interference, often pairing that freedom with expectations of accuracy and responsibility.
Twenty-eight percent of U.S. adults said the media is completely free to report the news, down from 33% in 2025. Another 48% said the press is somewhat free, while 23% said it is not very free or not at all free.
The study also found disagreement over government intervention. When respondents were asked about a news organization publishing false information, 81% said the organization should issue a public correction in all, almost all or most cases. Smaller shares supported government-required takedowns or fines in those circumstances.
Views also differed by political affiliation on the current state of press freedom, underscoring that the public shares broad support for the principle while interpreting current threats and appropriate limits differently.
Source: Pew Research Center, Pew-Knight Initiative, September 15, 2026.