{"id":311653,"date":"2026-02-12T15:40:30","date_gmt":"2026-02-12T20:40:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/?prc_email_campaign=americans-complicated-relationship-with-news"},"modified":"2026-06-08T12:13:24","modified_gmt":"2026-06-08T16:13:24","slug":"americans-complicated-relationship-with-news","status":"publish","type":"prc_email_campaign","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/newsletter\/the-briefing\/americans-complicated-relationship-with-news\/","title":{"rendered":"Americans\u2019 complicated relationship with news"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>\u2600\ufe0f Happy Thursday!<\/strong>\u00a0<em>The Briefing is your guide to the world of news and information<\/em>.<em> <a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/sign-up-for-the-briefing\/\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/sign-up-for-the-briefing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Sign up here!<\/strong><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>In today<em>\u2019<\/em>s email:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\n<li><strong>Featured story:<\/strong> A look at Illinois&#8217; new program giving tax credits to local news outlets\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n<li><strong>New from Pew Research Center: <\/strong>Americans\u2019 complicated relationship with news<\/li>\n\n\n<li><strong>In other news:<\/strong> Washington Post publisher steps down after layoffs<\/li>\n\n\n<li><strong>Looking ahead:<\/strong> TikTok announces new\u00a0\u2018Local Feed\u2019\u00a0based on users\u2019 location<\/li>\n\n\n<li><strong>Chart of the week:<\/strong> Americans\u2019\u00a0confidence in journalists<\/li>\n\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83d\udd25\u00a0<strong>Featured story<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.niemanlab.org\/2026\/02\/for-the-past-year-illinois-has-been-giving-local-news-outlets-tax-credits-to-support-journalism-jobs-a-new-report-looks-at-how-its-going\/\">report released last week<\/a> looks at\u00a0<strong>the first year of Illinois\u2019 Local Journalism Sustainability Tax Incentive Program,<\/strong>\u00a0which created\u00a0the country\u2019s first refundable tax credits\u00a0to support local journalism jobs. In its first year, this new policy structure awarded over\u00a0<strong>$4 million in tax credits to support 260 local journalist jobs<\/strong>\u00a0at several types of local news outlets across the state.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The vast majority of\u00a0Americans (85%) said in a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/journalism\/2024\/05\/07\/americans-views-on-the-financial-health-of-local-news\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">2024 Pew Research Center survey<\/a>\u00a0that they had not paid for local news in the past year, and a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/journalism\/2026\/02\/11\/few-say-americans-have-a-responsibility-to-pay-for-news\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">new Center study<\/a>\u00a0found that just 8% of U.S. adults say individual Americans have a responsibility to pay for news.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The new survey asked Americans\u00a0<strong>how they think U.S. news organizations\u00a0<em>should\u00a0<\/em>make money.<\/strong>\u00a0Adults in the U.S. are most likely to say the main way news organizations should make money is through advertising or sponsorships (45%). A<strong>\u00a0much smaller share (10%)\u00a0say\u00a0it should be government funding.<\/strong>\u00a0Democrats are modestly more likely than Republicans to say news organizations\u2019 main source of revenue should be government funding (14% vs. 7%).\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83d\udea8 <strong>New from Pew Research Center<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Americans today\u00a0describe\u00a0a complicated relationship with the news. Most say being informed is essential for civic life \u2013 especially voting \u2013 yet many feel overwhelmed,\u00a0skeptical\u00a0and selective about how they engage with information, according to a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/journalism\/2026\/02\/11\/americans-complicated-relationship-with-news\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">new Pew Research Center study<\/a>\u00a0from the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/collections\/pew-knight-initiative\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Pew-Knight Initiative<\/a>.\u00a0<br>\u00a0<br>Among the key findings:\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\n<li>Americans are evenly split between those who mostly get news because they are seeking it out and those who mostly let news find them. And about half of U.S. adults say they can stay informed even if they don&#8217;t actively follow the news.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n<li>Many have adjusted their news habits:<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>Two-thirds say they have stopped getting news from a specific source, and six-in-ten say they have reduced their overall news intake.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n<li>Americans have far more confidence in their own ability to check the accuracy of a news story than in other people\u2019s ability to do so.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83d\udccc\u00a0<strong>In other news<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\n<li><strong>Washington Post<\/strong>\u00a0publisher\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2026\/02\/07\/media\/washington-post-will-lewis-publisher-resigns\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Will Lewis steps down<\/a>\u00a0after major layoffs last week\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/deadline.com\/2026\/02\/nexstar-tegna-merger-senate-hearing-1236714485\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Senators debate future of local TV news<\/a>\u00a0amid\u00a0<strong>Nexstar-Tegna<\/strong>\u00a0merger discussions and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2026\/02\/07\/trump-nexstar-tegna-merger-00770466\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Trump\u2019s endorsement of the deal<\/a>\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n<li><strong>Hong Kong<\/strong>\u00a0media leader\u00a0<strong>Jimmy Lai<\/strong>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2026\/feb\/09\/jimmy-lai-sentencing-china-hong-kong-pro-democracy-businessman\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">sentenced to 20 years in prison<\/a>\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n<li><strong>Federal\u00a0Trade\u00a0Commission<\/strong>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2026\/02\/12\/us-ftc-airs-concerns-over-allegations-that-apple-suppresses-right-wing-content-on-apple-news\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">raises concerns<\/a>\u00a0about accusations that Apple News suppresses right-wing content\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n<li>A look at\u00a0<strong>The New York Times\u2019<\/strong>\u00a0tool that\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.niemanlab.org\/2026\/02\/how-the-new-york-times-uses-a-custom-ai-tool-to-track-the-manosphere\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">tracks the \u201cmanosphere\u201d<\/a>\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/pittsburgh\/news\/potential-sale-pittsburgh-post-gazette\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Local efforts<\/a>\u00a0to rescue the\u00a0<strong>Pittsburgh Post-Gazette<\/strong>\u00a0stall\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n<li><strong>Courier,\u00a0<\/strong>left-leaning news group,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.axios.com\/2026\/02\/11\/courier-expands-to-nine-more-states\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">expands to nine more states<\/a>\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n<li>With changes to\u00a0<strong>USPS,<\/strong>\u00a0subscribers are seeing\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.niemanlab.org\/2026\/02\/terribly-frustrating-after-usps-changes-more-newspapers-arent-reaching-subscribers-on-time\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">delays in newspaper deliveries<\/a>\u00a0<\/li>\n\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83d\udcc5\u00a0<strong>Looking ahead<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>TikTok\u00a0<\/strong>has begun offering an\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2026\/02\/11\/tiktok-launches-an-opt-in-local-feed-in-the-u-s-leveraging-users-precise-location\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">optional \u201cLocal Feed\u201d<\/a>\u00a0in the U.S. The new feature, which requires users to opt in to precise location sharing, will display content such as local news, events or restaurants based on the user\u2019s current location.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Americans are increasingly getting local news from social media.\u00a0<\/strong>About a quarter of U.S. adults (23%) say they prefer to get their local news via social media, according to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/journalism\/2024\/05\/07\/sources-of-local-news\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a 2024 Center survey<\/a>, an increase from 15% who said this in 2018.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83d\udcca\u00a0<strong>Chart of the week<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This week\u2019s chart is from a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/2026\/02\/11\/majority-of-americans-express-low-confidence-in-journalists-to-act-in-publics-best-interests\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">new Center analysis<\/a>\u00a0of\u00a0<strong>Americans\u2019 confidence in journalists<\/strong>\u00a0to act in the best interests of the public. Fewer than half of U.S. adults say they have a great deal (6%) or a fair amount (37%) of confidence in journalists to act in the public\u2019s best interests, compared with more than half who say they have not too much confidence (40%) or no confidence at all (17%). Republicans are much less likely than Democrats to express confidence in journalists.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img data-dominant-color=\"ece5e6\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #ece5e6;\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"583\" height=\"533\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/02\/Screenshot-2026-02-12-141226.png?resize=480,439 480w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/02\/Screenshot-2026-02-12-141226.png?resize=583,533 583w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 480px) 480px, (max-width: 782px) 782px, 640px\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/02\/Screenshot-2026-02-12-141226.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-288066 not-transparent\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>\ud83d\udc4b That&#8217;s all for this week.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Briefing is compiled by Pew Research Center staff, including Naomi Forman-Katz, Christopher St. Aubin, Luxuan Wang, Emily Tomasik, Joanne Haner, and Sawyer Reed. It is edited by Michael Lipka and copy edited by David Kent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Do you like this newsletter? Email us at\u00a0<a href=\"mailto:journalism@pewresearch.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">journalism@pewresearch.org<\/a> or fill out this <a href=\"https:\/\/us1.list-manage.com\/survey?u=434f5d1199912232d416897e4&amp;id=449f3c3d35&amp;attribution=false\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/us1.list-manage.com\/survey?u=434f5d1199912232d416897e4&amp;id=449f3c3d35&amp;attribution=false\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">two-question survey<\/a> to tell us what you think<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u2600\ufe0f Happy Thursday!\u00a0The Briefing is your guide to the world of news and information. Sign up here! In today\u2019s email: \ud83d\udd25\u00a0Featured story A report released last week looks at\u00a0the first year of Illinois\u2019 Local Journalism Sustainability Tax Incentive Program,\u00a0which created\u00a0the country\u2019s first refundable tax credits\u00a0to support local journalism jobs. In its first year, this new [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":5653,"template":"","meta":{"sub_headline":"","sub_title":"","_prc_public_revisions":[],"_ppp_expiration_hours":0,"_ppp_enabled":false,"wpai_generated_summary":"","prc_watchers":[],"footnotes":"","prc_email_subject":"Americans\u2019 complicated relationship with news","prc_email_preview_text":"Plus, a look at Illinois' new program giving tax credits to local news outlets\u00a0","prc_email_template_slug":"","prc_email_mailchimp_audience_id":"","prc_email_mailchimp_segment_id":"","prc_email_mailchimp_campaign_id":"","prc_email_mailchimp_campaign_admin_url":"","prc_email_mailchimp_campaign_status":"","prc_email_mailchimp_pending_send_at":"","prc_email_mailchimp_delayed_send_cancelled":""},"categories":[],"bylines":[],"prc_newsletter_list":[3083],"_post_visibility":[2643],"formats":[],"workflow-status":[],"class_list":["post-311653","prc_email_campaign","type-prc_email_campaign","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","_post_visibility-hidden-on-index"],"label":"Newsletter","post_parent":0,"word_count":736,"canonical_url":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/newsletter\/the-briefing\/americans-complicated-relationship-with-news\/","charts":[],"art_direction":{"A1":{"id":"5653","rawUrl":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2023\/07\/briefing_featured_image_2-1.png","url":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2023\/07\/briefing_featured_image_2-1.png?w=564&h=317&crop=1","width":564,"height":317,"chartArt":false},"A2":{"id":"5653","rawUrl":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2023\/07\/briefing_featured_image_2-1.png","url":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2023\/07\/briefing_featured_image_2-1.png?w=268&h=151&crop=1","width":268,"height":151,"chartArt":false},"A3":{"id":"5653","rawUrl":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2023\/07\/briefing_featured_image_2-1.png","url":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2023\/07\/briefing_featured_image_2-1.png?w=194&h=110&crop=1","width":194,"height":110,"chartArt":false},"A4":{"id":"5653","rawUrl":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2023\/07\/briefing_featured_image_2-1.png","url":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2023\/07\/briefing_featured_image_2-1.png?w=268&h=151&crop=1","width":268,"height":151,"chartArt":false},"XL":{"id":"5653","rawUrl":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2023\/07\/briefing_featured_image_2-1.png","url":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2023\/07\/briefing_featured_image_2-1.png?w=720&h=405&crop=1","width":720,"height":405,"chartArt":false},"social":{"id":"5653","rawUrl":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2023\/07\/briefing_featured_image_2-1.png","url":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2023\/07\/briefing_featured_image_2-1.png?w=1200&h=628&crop=1","width":1200,"height":628,"chartArt":false}},"_embeds":[],"prc_checklist":{},"watchChildPosts":false,"watchers":[],"table_of_contents":[],"datacite_doi":"","prc_seo_data":{"title":"Americans\u2019 complicated relationship with news","description":"\u2600\ufe0f Happy Thursday!\u00a0The Briefing is your guide to the world of news and information. 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