Washington insiders: Social media more influential than traditional media, but few trust it

By ByTom Joyce
The Center Square

Social media has passed traditional media in influence among Washington policy and political insiders, according to a new survey.

However, few of those insiders trust it.

DCI and Victory Phones released their first We Ask DC Washington, DC, Insiders’ Media Diet Survey on Thursday. The survey polled 400 respondents from a list of more than 20,000 people We Ask DC describes as influential Washington voices, including policymakers, political professionals, policy advocates, and issue experts.

It found that 53% of D.C. insiders say social media has passed traditional media in shaping politics and policy. Meanwhile, 18% said traditional media still has more influence.

Even so, just 9% of respondents said they trust social media the most, though 75% regularly use it.

“More than half of DC Insiders believe social media now outpaces traditional media in shaping politics and policy, problem is nobody trusts it,” Brian McCabe, managing partner at DCI, said in a news release. “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.”

The survey also found that more than half of Washington insiders spend more than three hours per day consuming news and policy content.

Younger insiders consume even more news. Among respondents ages 18 to 35, 41% said they spend five or more hours per day consuming news and policy content.

The survey also found that podcasts play a major role in Washington’s media diet. Half of respondents said podcasts rival or exceed traditional media in influence. Additionally, 36% said podcasts are their main source of information during their commute.

The survey also asked Washington insiders about artificial intelligence.

It found that 67% of D.C. organizations use AI tools. Yet, just 4% of respondents expressed high confidence in the accuracy of AI-generated news and policy information.

Dave Dishaw, president of Victory Phones, said the survey came from a need for more information about how policymakers and political professionals get their information.

“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,” Dishaw said in the release. “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.”

The survey included respondents contacted through live phone, email and text outreach. It has a 4.85% margin of error.

We Ask DC is a joint project of DCI and Victory Phones. DCI is a public affairs and strategic communications firm, while Victory Phones provides polling and outreach services.