WILKOW! Media Lost the Plot—And the Public

Byline: Olson Strategies Staff

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As former Biden Administration officials and the Democrat Party face intensifying scrutiny over a potential cover-up of his cognitive decline, and trust in traditional media collapses across the board, voter sentiment is shifting. At the center of the latest polling trends? A growing distrust of legacy media and a shift to new media voices and news sources.

Olson Strategies’ Dustin Olson joined Salem News Channel’s Andrew Wilkow on Wilkow! to discuss the fallout from Biden’s perceived cognitive decline, the shifting media landscape, and what it all means heading into the next election cycle.

Trust in the Media Collapses

Olson pointed to a sharp drop in media credibility across the board. According to their latest polling:

“55% say they have no trust at all or even a little bit with the media,” he said. “Only around 12% say they have any trust in the media.”

That erosion in trust is tied to the media’s handling of President Biden’s public appearances and health concerns. In the wake of last summer’s debate, Olson noted:

“61% of Americans told us that they believe that the Biden administration and their allies in the media had been covering up Biden's cognitive collapse.”

Trump Reshaped the GOP—and the Media War

Olson argued that Trump’s refusal to play by the old media rules changed everything:

“He's the first Republican... that really has some fight in him. Gone are the days of the Mitt Romney Republican Party,” he said. “He’s constantly pushing, pushing, pushing... and you can't really communicate unless you get people's attention.”

He credited Trump’s relentless media presence as a key factor in driving conservative momentum:

“I think he’s a once-in-a-generation kind of a leader who's able to get people's attention.”

Podcasts & New Media Replace the Legacy Gatekeepers

With legacy networks losing ground, Americans are turning to podcasts, news influencers, and streaming platforms for news.

“45% say that they get their news from podcasts at least once per month or from news influencers,” Olson said. “And 41% say at least once per week.”

Even high-profile moments from long-form interviews are reshaping the electorate:

“We asked the question about the Joe Rogan episode with Donald Trump—41% of Americans told us that they had seen a little bit or all of that before the election.”

The Rise of Unbuttoned Conservatism

Andrew Wilkow reflected on how conservative media has evolved—less buttoned-up, more cultural and personal:

“That unbuttoned conservative, that casual conservative, has kind of ripped the rug out from under the legacy media.”

Olson agreed, noting that this media decentralization mirrors broader demand for diverse voices:

“People are looking for different perspectives. They're not just looking for Walter Cronkite to tell them the way it is.”

Looking Ahead

As polling continues to show a decline in trust in Democrats and traditional media institutions, Olson suggested the political landscape could shift dramatically:

“I don't think they're going the way of the Whigs, necessarily, but if this continues... you can see the Democrat Party looking very different in a few years.”

Whether the GOP can capitalize on that remains to be seen. However, one thing is clear: the media and political landscape is not what it was just five years ago.