Social media may have surpassed traditional media in shaping American politics and policy, according to new study

More than half of Washington, D.C.’s, most influential policymakers and political professionals
believe social media has already surpassed traditional media in shaping politics and policy —
yet fewer than one in ten trust it, finds new study

DCI and Victory Phones released the inaugural We Ask DC’s Washington, DC, Insiders’ Media Diet Survey. According to a release, it’s a first-of-its-kind look into how the decision-makers, policy professionals and political influencers inside the Beltway consume, trust and act on information. Fielded from February to May, the survey captured 400 responses from a curated universe of D.C. Insiders.

The findings, states the release, suggest Washington’s media landscape is shifting fast. Half of all DC Insiders consume more than three hours of news daily, yet the platforms driving that consumption are the ones they trust least. Social media is gaining points in influence but losing when it comes to public trust.

“More than half of DC Insiders believe social media now outpaces traditional media in shaping politics and policy, problem is nobody trusts it,” said Brian McCabe, Managing Partner, DCI. “As public affairs professionals focus on leveraging influence, we have to make sure our messaging is fact-based and succinct. There’s no room for error and no time for hesitancy.”

TOP FINDINGS

• 53% of DC Insiders believe social media has surpassed traditional media in influencing politics and policy — only 18% say traditional media still leads
• 50+% spend more than 3 hours per day consuming news and policy content; among Insiders aged 18–35, 41% log 5 or more hours daily
• 9% trust social media most — despite 75% using it regularly. The gap between reach and credibility defines Washington’s information environment
• 67% of DC organizations use AI tools — yet only 4% express high confidence in AI accuracy for news and policy information
• 50% of Insiders say podcasts now rival or exceed traditional media in influence; 36% cite podcasts as their primary commute information source

“We have worked on thousands of projects over the last 16 years for Governors, Senators, U.S. Representatives, and numerous policy and political organizations all over America,” said Dave Dishaw, President, Victory Phones. “However, we felt strongly that there was a need in the marketplace for straightforward research for policymakers and policy shapers, and we are grateful to DCI for the opportunity to partner in providing these leading insights.”