With a war raging in Ukraine and political upheavals at home, we tune in nightly to get the latest on what’s happening in our world. Giving us sometimes awful news are TV broadcasters we’ve grown to know and (at least sometimes) trust. And we do watch. (These are the states where people watch the most TV.)
Cable channels such as CNN, Fox, and MSNBC broadcast news 24/7, so we see the hosts and reporters daily. Over time, they become almost like friends orre family. More than their ability to explain complex topics and hard news in a clear, concise manner, they also manage to engage us with a calming personality, wit, and the ability to make us like as well as trust them. (These are the most and least trusted institutions in America.)
To determine the most popular TV newscasters in America, 24/7 Tempo developed an index based on two measures of popularity, weighted equally: the average number of daily Wikipedia pageviews between March 11, 2019 and March 10, 2022 and the percentage of survey respondents who reported having a positive opinion of the broadcaster in a survey by the market research firm YouGov.
Click here to see the most popular TV newscasters in America
Trusted broadcasters don’t only do hard news. They are also commentators, talk show hosts, and sportscasters. Every broadcaster on the list received a positive rating of 30% or more (except the controversial Megyn Kelly, at only 26%). The most beloved broadcaster is one who is no longer with us, but who was a cultural fixture for so long he received a 57% favorable response. Of course, that’s Walter Cronkite.
25. Bryant Gumbel
> Daily avg. Wikipedia pageviews: 927
> Respondents w/ positive opinion of broadcaster: 36%
> Years active: 1972-present
> Primary networks: NBC, CBS, HBO
[in-text-ad]
Source: Robin Marchant / Getty Images
24. Robin Roberts
> Daily avg. Wikipedia pageviews: 13
> Respondents w/ positive opinion of broadcaster: 39%
> Years active: 1983-present
> Primary network: ABC
Source: Jamie McCarthy / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images
23. Gayle King
> Daily avg. Wikipedia pageviews: 1,663
> Respondents w/ positive opinion of broadcaster: 35%
> Years active: 1981-present
> Primary network: CBS
Source: Dia Dipasupil / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images
22. David Muir
> Daily avg. Wikipedia pageviews: 2,723
> Respondents w/ positive opinion of broadcaster: 32%
> Years active: 1995-present
> Primary network: ABC
[in-text-ad-2]
Source: Ben Gabbe / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images
21. Don Lemon
> Daily avg. Wikipedia pageviews: 3,446
> Respondents w/ positive opinion of broadcaster: 30%
> Years active: 2003-present
> Primary network: CNN
Source: Monica Schipper / Getty Images
20. Jane Pauley
> Daily avg. Wikipedia pageviews: 729
> Respondents w/ positive opinion of broadcaster: 38%
> Years active: 1972-present
> Primary network: NBC, CBS
[in-text-ad]
Source: Stephen Lovekin / Getty Images
19. Hoda Kotb
> Daily avg. Wikipedia pageviews: 2,545
> Respondents w/ positive opinion of broadcaster: 33%
> Years active: 1986-present
> Primary network: NBC
Source: Noam Galai / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images
18. Ted Koppel
> Daily avg. Wikipedia pageviews: 490
> Respondents w/ positive opinion of broadcaster: 39%
> Years active: 1963-present
> Primary network: ABC
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
17. David Brinkley
> Daily avg. Wikipedia pageviews: 253
> Respondents w/ positive opinion of broadcaster: 41%
> Years active: 1943-1997
> Primary networks: NBC, ABC
[in-text-ad-2]
Source: Pool / Getty Images News via Getty Images
16. Chris Wallace
> Daily avg. Wikipedia pageviews: 2,879
> Respondents w/ positive opinion of broadcaster: 34%
> Years active: 1964-present
> Primary networks: Fox, NBC, ABC
Source: Theo Wargo / Getty Images
15. Rachel Maddow
> Daily avg. Wikipedia pageviews: 3,322
> Respondents w/ positive opinion of broadcaster: 34%
> Years active: 2008-present
> Primary network: MSNBC
[in-text-ad]
14. Lester Holt
> Daily avg. Wikipedia pageviews: 1,385
> Respondents w/ positive opinion of broadcaster: 40%
> Years active: 1981-present
> Primary network: NBC
Source: Phillip Faraone / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images
13. Megyn Kelly
> Daily avg. Wikipedia pageviews: 6,417
> Respondents w/ positive opinion of broadcaster: 26%
> Years active: 2003-present
> Primary networks: Fox, NBC
12. Mike Wallace
> Daily avg. Wikipedia pageviews: 1,507
> Respondents w/ positive opinion of broadcaster: 40%
> Years active: 1938-2008
> Primary network: CBS
[in-text-ad-2]
Source: Daniel Zuchnik / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images
11. Connie Chung
> Daily avg. Wikipedia pageviews: 1,146
> Respondents w/ positive opinion of broadcaster: 42%
> Years active: 1972-present
> Primary networks: CBS, NBC, CNN, MSNBC
Source: Astrid Stawiarz / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images
10. Phil Donahue
> Daily avg. Wikipedia pageviews: 2,013
> Respondents w/ positive opinion of broadcaster: 40%
> Years active: 1970-1996
> Primary station: WLWD (nationally syndicated)
[in-text-ad]
Source: Frederick M. Brown / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images
9. George Stephanopoulos
> Daily avg. Wikipedia pageviews: 2,383
> Respondents w/ positive opinion of broadcaster: 39%
> Years active: 1993-present
> Primary network: ABC
Source: Mike Windle / Getty Images
8. Katie Couric
> Daily avg. Wikipedia pageviews: 2,153
> Respondents w/ positive opinion of broadcaster: 40%
> Years active: 1979-present
> Primary networks: NBC, CBS, ABC
Source: Peter Kramer / Getty Images
7. Peter Jennings
> Daily avg. Wikipedia pageviews: 884
> Respondents w/ positive opinion of broadcaster: 45%
> Years active: 1947-2005
> Primary network: ABC
[in-text-ad-2]
Source: Mike Coppola / Getty Images
6. Tom Brokaw
> Daily avg. Wikipedia pageviews: 1,165
> Respondents w/ positive opinion of broadcaster: 45%
> Years active: 1960-2021
> Primary network: NBC
Source: Theo Wargo / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images
5. Dan Rather
> Daily avg. Wikipedia pageviews: 1,724
> Respondents w/ positive opinion of broadcaster: 48%
> Years active: 1950-present
> Primary network: CBS
[in-text-ad]
Source: Dia Dipasupil / Getty Images
4. Diane Sawyer
> Daily avg. Wikipedia pageviews: 1,389
> Respondents w/ positive opinion of broadcaster: 49%
> Years active: 1962-present
> Primary network: ABC
Source: Toby Canham / Getty Images
3. Barbara Walters
> Daily avg. Wikipedia pageviews: 2,707
> Respondents w/ positive opinion of broadcaster: 48%
> Years active: 1951-2016
> Primary networks: NBC, ABC
Source: Frederick M. Brown / Getty Images
2. Walter Cronkite
> Daily avg. Wikipedia pageviews: 1,483
> Respondents w/ positive opinion of broadcaster: 57%
> Years active: 1939-2009
> Primary network: CBS
[in-text-ad-2]
1. Anderson Cooper
> Daily avg. Wikipedia pageviews: 7,851
> Respondents w/ positive opinion of broadcaster: 44%
> Years active: 1990-present
> Primary network: CNN
Sponsored: Want to Retire Early? Here’s a Great First Step
Want retirement to come a few years earlier than you’d planned? Or are you ready to retire now, but want an extra set of eyes on your finances?
Now you can speak with up to 3 financial experts in your area for FREE. By simply clicking here you can begin to match with financial professionals who can help you build your plan to retire early. And the best part? The first conversation with them is free.
Click here to match with up to 3 financial pros who would be excited to help you make financial decisions.
Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.
Editors' Picks
