The Video Advertising Bureau (VAB) has released a new infographic titled “TV News Wins. There’s No Debate!,” which highlights a stark divide in voter sentiment regarding information credibility. Based on a December 2025 survey of over 2,300 U.S. adults, the data reveals that potential voters are six times more likely to trust television news compared to social media. Conversely, the study suggests that voters perceive social media as the primary vector for disinformation, with over half of respondents labeling it the leading source of fake or misleading content.
This shift in sentiment comes at a critical juncture in the 2026 midterm election cycle, during which political spending on Connected TV (CTV) has doubled to approximately $2.7 billion. Because voters are twice as likely to first encounter a candidate’s platform on television rather than social media, the environment in which that information is presented carries significant weight. VAB notes that “multiscreen TV”—a term encompassing both linear cable and ad-supported streaming—acts as a crucial “discovery channel” that shapes how voters process all subsequent campaign messaging.
The report emphasizes that the perceived authenticity of political ads is deeply linked to the platform’s overall reputation. According to the research, 67% of potential voters specifically value television for its perceived journalistic quality. This credibility transfer is vital for advertisers; by placing ads within a professional, high-standard content environment, campaigns can achieve a much different psychological impact than they would when interspersed within the algorithmically driven, often unregulated feeds of social media platforms.
Behavioral data from the study suggests that these perceptions translate into tangible outcomes. Nearly half (49%) of potential voters report taking a measurable action—such as checking voter registration, scanning QR codes, or performing follow-up searches—after viewing a political ad on television. This underscores that television functions as an “initiating signal” that drives traffic toward digital and mobile interfaces. Consequently, media planners are being encouraged to rethink attribution models to ensure they capture the downstream digital actions triggered by upstream “multiscreen” TV impressions.
The industry is already responding to these trends through new measurement and targeting integrations. Partnerships between entities like Comscore and Yahoo DSP, as well as the implementation of AI-driven platforms by broadcasters like Gray Media, are designed to unify multiscreen messaging and bridge the gap between linear broadcast and digital streaming environments. As political budgets reach record highs, the “trust gap” identified by the VAB has become a core consideration for media buyers prioritizing brand safety and effective voter engagement in an era of intense digital misinformation.
While the VAB’s analysis provides a compelling case for television’s influence, it serves as a strategic summary of a much broader 39-page report. As a trade organization representing premium broadcasters, the VAB’s data should be understood as a tool for media planning, though its findings—supported by the high adoption rate of multiscreen strategies by other major sectors like pharmaceutical brands—remain highly pertinent. As the 2026 cycle progresses, this emphasis on trust will likely remain a central pillar for campaigns attempting to cut through the noise and establish legitimacy with the electorate.
