---
"title": "Sources and Evidence"
"description": "Usually, different news sources came with different kinds of evidence. Outside experts were more likely to offer some proof for the claims (92% versus 81% overall) and to base their proof on the candidate’s public record (43% versus 31% overall). Journalists on the other hand, referred to the public record just 28% of the time […]"
"date": "2000-07-27"
"authors":
-
"name": "Benjamin Wormald"
"url": "https://alpha.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/journalism/2000/07/27/sources-and-evidence/"
---
# Sources and Evidence
Usually, different news sources came with different kinds of evidence. Outside experts were more likely to offer some proof for the claims (92% versus 81% overall) and to base their proof on the candidate’s public record (43% versus 31% overall).
Journalists on the other hand, referred to the public record just 28% of the time and offered no evidence 22% of time.
The candidates were the next most likely source to offer evidence (83%) and in doing so, referred to the public record (36%).
| **Evidence Used by the Various Sources**
|
| --- |
| | Journalist
(n=661) | Candidate
(n=329) | Surrogate
(n=160) | Expert
(n=73) | Voter
(n=45) | Other Media
(n=38) | Other
(n=24) |
| Voter interaction | 3% | 1% | 6% | 2 | 16% | 0% | 17% |
| Public record | 28 | 36 | 28 | 43 | 20 | 16 | 29 |
| Recent remarks | 7 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 13 | 4 |
| Camp. platform | 8 | 13 | 9 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Tactics /rhetoric | 14 | 10 | 8 | 23 | 13 | 3 | 17 |
| Opponent attack | 6 | 10 | 16 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| Friends’ remarks | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| Past personal life | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 13 | 13 |
| Poll | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 8 |
| Other media | 2 | \* | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 3 | 3 | 6 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 4 |
| |
| No evidence | 22 | 17 | 17 | 8 | 36 | 37 | 4 |
| |
| **Total** | **100** | **100** | **100** | **100** | **100** | **100** | **100** |
---
**Next:** [The Internet](https://alpha.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/journalism/2000/07/27/the-internet-2/markdown)