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]
24. Robin Roberts
> Daily avg. Wikipedia pageviews: 13
> Respondents w/ positive opinion of broadcaster: 39%
> Years active: 1983-present
> Primary network: ABC
24/7 Wall St.
23. Gayle King
> Daily avg. Wikipedia pageviews: 1,663
> Respondents w/ positive opinion of broadcaster: 35%
> Years active: 1981-present
> Primary network: CBS
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]
21. Don Lemon
> Daily avg. Wikipedia pageviews: 3,446
> Respondents w/ positive opinion of broadcaster: 30%
> Years active: 2003-present
> Primary network: CNN
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]
19. Hoda Kotb
> Daily avg. Wikipedia pageviews: 2,545
> Respondents w/ positive opinion of broadcaster: 33%
> Years active: 1986-present
> Primary network: NBC
18. Ted Koppel
> Daily avg. Wikipedia pageviews: 490
> Respondents w/ positive opinion of broadcaster: 39%
> Years active: 1963-present
> Primary network: ABC
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]
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
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
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]
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
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]
9. George Stephanopoulos
> Daily avg. Wikipedia pageviews: 2,383
> Respondents w/ positive opinion of broadcaster: 39%
> Years active: 1993-present
> Primary network: ABC
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
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]
6. Tom Brokaw
> Daily avg. Wikipedia pageviews: 1,165
> Respondents w/ positive opinion of broadcaster: 45%
> Years active: 1960-2021
> Primary network: NBC
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]
4. Diane Sawyer
> Daily avg. Wikipedia pageviews: 1,389
> Respondents w/ positive opinion of broadcaster: 49%
> Years active: 1962-present
> Primary network: ABC
3. Barbara Walters
> Daily avg. Wikipedia pageviews: 2,707
> Respondents w/ positive opinion of broadcaster: 48%
> Years active: 1951-2016
> Primary networks: NBC, ABC
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
Find a Qualified Financial Advisor (Sponsor)
Finding a qualified financial advisor doesn’t have to be hard. SmartAsset’s free tool matches you with up to 3 fiduciary financial advisors in your area in 5 minutes. Each advisor has been vetted by SmartAsset and is held to a fiduciary standard to act in your best interests. If you’re ready to be matched with local advisors that can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now.
Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.
Latest from 24/7
