Americans Value Press Freedom but Differ on Its Limits
Many people in the U.S. say some press freedom restrictions are OK when weighed against concerns about false information or national security.
Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
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Americans remain concerned about press freedoms, but partisan views have flipped since 2024
A majority of Democrats (60%) are highly concerned about press freedoms – about double the share of Republicans (28%).
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Free Expression Seen as Important Globally, but Not Everyone Thinks Their Country Has Press, Speech and Internet Freedoms
Across 35 countries, there are some disconnects between how people rate the importance of free expression and how free they feel they actually are.
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Americans more likely to support than oppose continuing federal funding for NPR and PBS
Republicans are much more likely than Democrats to support ending federal funding for public media.
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Most Americans say a free press is highly important to society
Ahead of World Press Freedom Day, 73% of U.S. adults say the freedom of the press is extremely or very important to the well-being of society.
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Most U.S. journalists are concerned about press freedoms
57% of U.S. journalists surveyed say they are extremely or very concerned about potential restrictions on press freedoms in the country.
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The Role of Alternative Social Media in the News and Information Environment
In recent years, several new options have emerged in the social media universe, many of which explicitly present themselves as alternatives to more established social media platforms. Free speech ideals and heated political themes prevail on these sites, which draw praise from their users and skepticism from other Americans.
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Journalists Sense Turmoil in Their Industry Amid Continued Passion for Their Work
A survey of U.S.-based journalists finds 77% would choose their career all over again, though 57% are highly concerned about future restrictions on press freedom.
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Fast facts about Americans’ views of social media companies as Trump-Twitter dispute grows
Amid the back-and-forth between Twitter and President Trump, here are facts about Americans’ attitudes toward social media companies.
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5 charts on views of press freedom around the world
To mark World Press Freedom Day, here are five charts that show how people globally see the freedom of the press.
