More Americans now say government should take steps to restrict false information online than in 2018
48% of US adults say the government should restrict false information online, even if it means losing some freedom to access/publish content.
Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
Media Attitudes
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Media Attitudes
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Republicans less likely to trust their main news source if they see it as ‘mainstream’; Democrats more likely
Americans’ trust in media varies widely by political party and whether they see the outlet in question as part of the “mainstream media.”
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Many Americans are unsure whether sources of news do their own reporting
Roughly half of Americans or more were able to correctly identify whether three of the six sources asked about do their own reporting.
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Two-thirds of U.S. adults say they’ve seen their own news sources report facts meant to favor one side
59% of Americans say made-up information that is intended to mislead causes a “great deal” of confusion about the 2020 presidential election.
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Americans blame unfair news coverage on media outlets, not the journalists who work for them
About eight-in-ten Americans (79%) say news organizations tend to favor one side when presenting the news on political and social issues.
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Most Americans see a place for anonymous sources in news stories, but not all the time
A majority (82%) say there are times when it is acceptable for journalists to use anonymous sources, with 67% saying it is acceptable only in special cases.
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A look at the Americans who believe there is some truth to the conspiracy theory that COVID-19 was planned
Most Americans (71%) have heard of a conspiracy theory that alleges that powerful people intentionally planned the coronavirus outbreak.
