What makes a news story trustworthy? Americans point to the outlet that publishes it, sources cited
U.S. adults’ views of what makes a news story trustworthy vary by party affiliation, demographic characteristics and news consumption habits.
Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
Journalism
-
-
Use of anonymous sources uncommon in early Biden coverage, least likely in outlets with right-leaning audiences
11% of stories about Joe Biden’s early days as president cited an anonymous or unnamed source, and fewer than 1% relied solely on such sources.
-
Americans in news media ‘bubbles’ think differently about foreign policy than others
Differences within each party on views of foreign policy emerge based on where Americans turn for political news.
-
COVID-19 was pervasive in the media’s early coverage of the Biden administration
The pandemic and its effects on society became a pervasive part of the media narrative about Joe Biden’s first 60 days in office.
-
Trump mentioned in about half of Biden stories during early weeks in office, but less so over time
During the first 60 days of the new administration, roughly half of stories about the Biden administration mentioned Donald Trump in some way.
-
A third of large U.S. newspapers experienced layoffs in 2020, more than in 2019
Staff layoffs continued to pummel the beleaguered U.S. newspaper industry in 2020, a period complicated by the impact of the pandemic.
-
More Americans now see the media’s influence growing compared with a year ago
When Americans were asked to evaluate the media’s standing in the nation, 41% say news organizations are growing in their influence.
-
Immigration was a top focus of early Biden coverage, especially among outlets with right-leaning audiences
Immigration was one of the five topics most covered by 25 major news outlets in the first 60 days of the Biden administration.
-
Broad agreement in U.S. – even among partisans – on which news outlets are part of the ‘mainstream media’
We asked U.S. adults whether they consider each of 13 different news outlets to be a part of the mainstream media or not.
-
At 100 Day Mark: Coverage of Biden Has Been Slightly More Negative Than Positive, Varied Greatly by Outlet Type
About two-thirds of news coverage dealt with Biden’s policy agenda, while about three-quarters of early Trump coverage was framed around leadership skills.
