Else Beekman
The growing difficulty in identifying reliable news sources is a concern many Spaniards share. According to a recent global survey by Edelman, a staggering 70% say they find it increasingly hard to distinguish between trustworthy media and disinformation.
That figure places Spain well above neighbouring countries like France and Italy. But what does this tell us about trust in Spain’s institutions, media, and society at large?
Rising uncertainty about what’s true
The Edelman Trust Barometer — based on data from 28 countries and over 1,000 respondents in Spain — reveals, according to Newtral, a growing sense of uncertainty about what’s real and what’s not. The survey was conducted between late October and mid-November 2024. That was right in the middle of Spain’s devastating DANA weather crisis — a time when people were especially in need of reliable information.
Yet, 70% of those surveyed said it is becoming “increasingly difficult” to tell whether news comes from a respected media outlet or is disinformation. By comparison, the rate in France was 60%, and even lower in Italy.
Spain among top 5 least trusting countries
The decline in trust is not limited to the media. Spain ranks among the top five countries with the lowest trust in all major institutions — government, business, media, and even NGOs. Only countries like Japan, the UK, and South Korea reported greater distrust in the media.
Spain’s government fares especially poorly. Just one in three respondents trust it — a three-point drop compared to 2024. That places Spain just below Japan as the country with the least trust in its government.
Social media tops the distrust list
Social media is the most distrusted source of information, followed by private media companies, traditional news outlets, and search engines. But what does this mean for how Spaniards consume news?
In an age where anyone with a smartphone can be a publisher, separating noise from reality becomes harder by the day — especially as platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and TikTok become key news sources for younger audiences.
Lower incomes, higher distrust
One remarkable finding: people with lower incomes show significantly more distrust in institutions than those with higher incomes. That’s perhaps unsurprising, considering they often face more insecurity, patchy access to reliable information, and limited exposure to quality journalism.
Hostile activism on the rise
Perhaps the most worrying detail: four in ten respondents across all countries surveyed support hostile activism as a legitimate means of forcing change. A quarter believe it’s acceptable to spread disinformation, and 23% are okay with violence or damaging public and private property.
Paradox
It’s a paradox: we’ve never had more information at our fingertips, yet so many feel lost. Perhaps now is the time for media, governments, education, and citizens alike to redefine what credible information means — before trust disappears altogether.
Spain’s historically complex relationship with power and information may also play a role. Decades of authoritarian rule under Franco left deep societal scars, including a lasting scepticism towards official narratives. Even today, that inherited mistrust can influence how institutions and media are perceived — not just by older generations, but also through values passed down to younger ones.