Given the importance of media effects on audiences and the necessity of strengthening institutional trust, the present study aims to examine the relationship between media consumption patterns and the level of institutional trust among Iranian citizens. The research method is secondary analysis, drawing on data from the fourth wave of the national survey *Measurement of Cultural, Social, and Political Attitudes of the Iranian People*, conducted by the Bina Institute in February 2021 with a margin of error of approximately 3.5%. The statistical population included all Iranian residents aged 15 and above across rural areas, small towns, and metropolitan cities. The sample size was 1,007 respondents, selected using cluster sampling and calculated with SPSS Sample Power software. Data were collected through telephone questionnaires, whose reliability and validity had been confirmed in three previous survey waves. Findings indicate that the average consumption of foreign media is higher than that of domestic media. Moreover, the mean level of institutional trust is significantly above the theoretical midpoint (2.5). Results further show that foreign media consumption has a moderate negative relationship with institutional trust, while domestic media consumption has a weak positive relationship. The strength and direction of these relationships vary across demographic subgroups. The study concludes that media consumption does affect institutional trust, but the pattern of influence differs between domestic and foreign media, and demographic subgroups do not exhibit uniform responsiveness to media in relation to institutional trust.