(POLL) 38% rate midterm election media coverage OK

A recent Rasmussen Reports survey indicates that 38% of likely U.S. voters believe that major news media performed well in covering the 2026 congressional election campaign, a slight increase from 36% two years prior. Conversely, 26% of respondents rated the media's campaign coverage as poor. This survey aligns with findings from a Media Research Center study, which revealed that network news coverage in October presented unfavorable news for Republicans.

The survey further explored perceptions of media bias, revealing that 40% of voters felt that most media coverage favored Democrats, while only 22% believed it favored Republicans. Additionally, 28% of respondents considered the coverage to be balanced, and 10% were uncertain about their views. These perceptions varied significantly across political affiliations, with a majority of Democrats (42%) and a substantial number of Republicans (41%) agreeing that coverage leaned towards Democrats.

In terms of news sources, the survey found that 28% of voters primarily relied on cable news networks for election information, followed by 20% who turned to traditional television networks. The internet emerged as a significant source, with 19% of voters getting their news from internet news sites and another 19% from social media platforms. This indicates a growing trend, as the combined share of voters using these digital sources rose to 38%, up from 31% four years earlier.

Political affiliation also influenced media consumption habits. Cable news was the primary source for 37% of Republicans, 28% of Democrats, and 20% of unaffiliated voters. Traditional television networks were favored by 23% of Democrats, 19% of Republicans, and 17% of unaffiliated voters. Interestingly, unaffiliated voters were more likely to rely on internet news sites compared to their affiliated counterparts.

The survey highlighted that perceptions of media coverage are significantly influenced by political affiliation. While 52% of Democrats rated the media's election coverage as good or excellent, only 37% of Republicans and 25% of unaffiliated voters shared this sentiment. Notably, a majority of voters under 30 rated the media coverage positively. Conducted from October 28 to November 1, 2026, with a sample size of 1,034 likely voters, the survey has a margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points.