{"id":349573,"date":"2026-07-30T14:29:00","date_gmt":"2026-07-30T18:29:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/?post_type=prc_email_campaign&#038;p=349573"},"modified":"2026-07-30T14:38:44","modified_gmt":"2026-07-30T18:38:44","slug":"how-americans-assess-health-information-amid-cyclospora-outbreak","status":"publish","type":"prc_email_campaign","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/newsletter\/the-briefing\/how-americans-assess-health-information-amid-cyclospora-outbreak\/","title":{"rendered":"How Americans assess health information amid cyclospora outbreak"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-post-date\"><time datetime=\"2026-07-30T14:29:00-04:00\">July 30, 2026<\/time><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 id=\"the-briefing\" class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color\" style=\"color:#2a2a2a;font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:clamp(17.905px, 1.119rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 1.147), 28px);font-weight:700\">The Briefing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-alpha-channel-opacity has-background\" style=\"background-color:#2a2a2a;color:#2a2a2a\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>\u2600\ufe0f Happy Thursday!<\/strong> <em>The Briefing is your guide to the world of news and information. <a href=\"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&#8217;s email:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Featured story:<\/strong> The cyclospora outbreak and how Americans assess health information<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>In other news:<\/strong> Polymarket partners with new media company<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Looking ahead:<\/strong> Are progressives moving away from legacy media?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Chart of the week:<\/strong> \u2018Doing your own research\u2019 means different things to Americans<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"featured-story\" class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color\" style=\"color:#2a2a2a;font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:clamp(14px, 0.875rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.455), 18px);\">\ud83d\udd25 <strong>Featured story<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">New reporting from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/07\/28\/business\/media\/cyclospora-social-media.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The New York Times<\/a> on the spread of information about the <strong>cyclospora outbreak<\/strong> is shedding light on how competing narratives and <strong>conspiracy theories<\/strong> can take off in <strong>online spaces<\/strong> such as social media. These include allegations about political ties between the <strong>Trump administration<\/strong> and <strong>Taylor Farms,<\/strong> the company whose products were linked to the pathogen by federal health officials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Overall, <strong>half of Americans say it is at least somewhat difficult to judge the accuracy of health information,<\/strong> according to a <a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/science\/2026\/04\/07\/where-do-americans-get-health-information-and-what-do-they-trust\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2025 Pew Research Center survey<\/a>. But they assess information differently depending on the source.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Trust in health information from government health agencies is far from universal. Among the 76% of Americans who ever get health information from that source, 25% say it is extremely or very accurate, 55% say it is somewhat accurate, and 19% say it is not too or not at all accurate. But there is even less trust in health information from social media: Just 7% of those who ever get health information this way say it is extremely or very accurate, compared with 47% who say the information is not too or not at all accurate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"in-other-news\" class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color\" style=\"color:#2a2a2a;font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:clamp(14px, 0.875rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.455), 18px);\">\ud83d\udccc <strong>In other news<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Polymarket<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.axios.com\/2026\/07\/28\/prediction-markets-media-startup-eventual\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">partners with new media company<\/a> to provide news and analysis from prediction markets<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>60 Minutes<\/strong> hires New York Times\u2019 <strong>Ross Douthat<\/strong> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2026\/07\/28\/media\/ross-douthat-60-minutes-cbs-news-norah-odonnell\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">other new contributors<\/a>; former correspondent <strong>Cecilia Vega<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/07\/24\/business\/media\/cecilia-vega-60-minutes.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">describes what she saw as political pressure<\/a> from network<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/07\/24\/world\/asia\/india-cockroach-party-cjp-protest-memes.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The role of media<\/a> in the <strong>protest movement<\/strong> among young people in <strong>India<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Is <a href=\"https:\/\/reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk\/news\/costa-rica-used-be-beacon-press-freedom-central-america-what-changed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">press freedom declining<\/a> in <strong>Costa Rica<\/strong>?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Justice Department<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/usmediatimesair-force-one-42429e4d4da8accc42b6c3ddf3f4fed5\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">withdraws subpoenas<\/a> of <strong>New York Times<\/strong> reporters<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The Atlantic<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thewrap.com\/media-platforms\/journalism\/the-atlantic-files-to-dismiss-kash-patel-lawsuit\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">asks judge to dismiss<\/a> FBI Director <strong>Kash Patel&#8217;s <\/strong>defamation lawsuit<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Trump <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2026\/07\/25\/nx-s1-5907805\/white-house-correspondents-dinner\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">delivers speech<\/a> at rescheduled <strong>White House Correspondents\u2019 Association<\/strong> dinner<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Paramount<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/warner-bros-paramount-skydance-0f4ed7b4627b2d0ac8c1f1626689bf5d\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">agrees to delay merger<\/a> with <strong>Warner Bros.<\/strong> amid states\u2019 lawsuit<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A look at <strong>public media<\/strong> <strong>funding <\/strong>one year <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2026\/07\/26\/nx-s1-5884022\/pbs-npr-public-radio-tv-funding-trump\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">after federal cuts<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How different newsrooms are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.niemanlab.org\/2026\/07\/how-three-newsrooms-are-charting-different-paths-for-ai-use\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">using AI<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"looking-ahead\" class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color\" style=\"color:#2a2a2a;font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:clamp(14px, 0.875rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.455), 18px);\">\ud83d\udcc5 <strong>Looking ahead<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A recent <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/democratic-party-media-independent-progressive-michigan-3e58cbddb0641643e2f390722c4fab6a\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">article from The Associated Press<\/a> explores the trend of <strong>progressive Americans<\/strong> who have stopped getting news from <strong>traditional news outlets<\/strong> and are instead turning to <strong>new and alternative media<\/strong> like podcasts, social media influencers and digital news sites.<br><br>While Democrats remain more likely than Republicans to trust <a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/2025\/10\/29\/how-americans-trust-in-information-from-news-organizations-and-social-media-sites-has-changed-over-time\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">national news organizations in general<\/a> and many <a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/journalism\/2025\/06\/10\/the-political-gap-in-americans-news-sources\/#trust-and-distrust-in-news-sources-among-republicans-and-democrats\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">specific outlets<\/a>, <strong>younger Democrats&#8217; patterns of trust are changing.<\/strong> Democrats ages 18 to 29 (including independents who lean Democratic) are less likely than those 65 and older to say they have at least some trust in the information they get from national news organizations (61% vs. 79%), and much more likely than the oldest group to say they trust information from social media (51% vs. 21%).<br><br>As a 25-year-old independent Democratic-leaning woman <a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/journalism\/2025\/12\/03\/young-adults-and-the-future-of-news\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">said in a focus group we conducted<\/a>, \u201cOften times I find myself having to seek alternative news outlets or articles to get the full story of what really is happening or to fill in the gaps of missing details.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"chart-of-the-week\" class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color\" style=\"color:#2a2a2a;font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:clamp(14px, 0.875rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.455), 18px);\">\ud83d\udcca <strong>Chart of the week<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This week\u2019s chart comes from a <a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/collections\/pew-knight-initiative\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Pew-Knight Initiative<\/a> study on <a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/journalism\/2026\/02\/11\/americans-complicated-relationship-with-news\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Americans\u2019 relationship with news<\/a> \u2013 specifically what it means when people say they <a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/journalism\/2026\/02\/11\/what-does-it-mean-to-do-your-own-research-and-how-often-do-americans-do-it\/#what-does-doing-your-own-research-mean-to-americans\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u201cdo their own research.\u201d<\/a><br><br>Americans associate a wide range of <strong>information-gathering practices<\/strong> with the idea of <strong>doing their own research,<\/strong> including comparing information from different sources, looking at scientific studies and searching online. But the concept is also commonly linked with the idea of <strong>questioning mainstream sources<\/strong> like news organizations or government sources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-bd6cbb4d wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\"><div class=\"aligncenter wp-block-prc-chart-builder-synced-chart\"><figure class=\"wp-chart-builder\">\t\t<div style=\"max-width:420px\" class=\"wp-chart-builder-wrapper alignnone wp-block-prc-chart-builder-controller\" id=\"8c8c23df-100f-4a32-a991-04fcd174c9e6\" data-wp-interactive=\"prc-chart-builder\/controller\" data-wp-context=\"{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;8c8c23df-100f-4a32-a991-04fcd174c9e6&quot;,&quot;postId&quot;:349573,&quot;postUrl&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/alpha.pewresearch.org\\\/pewresearch-org\\\/newsletter\\\/the-briefing\\\/how-americans-assess-health-information-amid-cyclospora-outbreak\\\/&quot;,&quot;chartPostUrl&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/alpha.pewresearch.org\\\/pewresearch-org\\\/chart\\\/doing-your-own-research-means-several-different-things-to-americans\\\/&quot;,&quot;postPubDate&quot;:&quot;2026-07-30&quot;,&quot;rootUrl&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/alpha.pewresearch.org\\\/pewresearch-org&quot;,&quot;featuredImageId&quot;:297003,&quot;featuredImageUrl&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/alpha.pewresearch.org\\\/pewresearch-org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/20\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/doing_your_own_research_means_several_different_things_to_americans-284244-1774972869.png&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&#039;Doing your own research&#039; means several different things to Americans&quot;,&quot;subtitle&quot;:&quot;% of U.S. adults who say they usually think of each of the following when they hear about someone \\u201cdoing their own research\\u201d&quot;,&quot;note&quot;:&quot;Note: Respondents who did not answer are not shown.&quot;,&quot;source&quot;:&quot;Source: Pew Research Center survey of U.S. adults conducted Dec. 8-14, 2025.&lt;br&gt;\\u201cAmericans\\u2019 Complicated Relationship With News\\u201d&quot;,&quot;tag&quot;:&quot;PEW-KNIGHT INITIATIVE&quot;,&quot;tableData&quot;:{&quot;header&quot;:[&quot;&quot;,&quot;Yes&quot;,&quot;No&quot;,&quot;Not sure&quot;],&quot;rows&quot;:[[&quot;Discussing it with friends or family&quot;,&quot;38%&quot;,&quot;48%&quot;,&quot;12%&quot;],[&quot;Looking for firsthand experiences or personal stories&quot;,&quot;63%&quot;,&quot;22%&quot;,&quot;15%&quot;],[&quot;Questioning what official or governmental sources say&quot;,&quot;68%&quot;,&quot;18%&quot;,&quot;14%&quot;],[&quot;Questioning what major news organizations are reporting&quot;,&quot;70%&quot;,&quot;17%&quot;,&quot;12%&quot;],[&quot;Searching on Google or another search engine&quot;,&quot;72%&quot;,&quot;15%&quot;,&quot;12%&quot;],[&quot;Looking at scientific studies&quot;,&quot;77%&quot;,&quot;11%&quot;,&quot;12%&quot;],[&quot;Comparing information from different sources&quot;,&quot;84%&quot;,&quot;7%&quot;,&quot;8%&quot;]],&quot;footer&quot;:[]},&quot;isFreeformChart&quot;:false}\" data-wp-init---detect-web-share-support=\"callbacks.detectWebShareSupport\" data-wp-init---sync-table-height=\"callbacks.syncTableHeight\" data-wp-init---watch-chart=\"callbacks.watchChart\" data-wp-init---reset-tab-on-navigation=\"callbacks.resetTabOnNavigation\" data-png-url=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/02\/doing_your_own_research_means_several_different_things_to_americans-284244-1774972869.png\" data-has-csv=\"true\" data-allow-data-download=\"true\" data-post-url=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/newsletter\/the-briefing\/how-americans-assess-health-information-amid-cyclospora-outbreak\/\" data-chart-url=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/chart\/doing-your-own-research-means-several-different-things-to-americans\/\" data-chart-title=\"&#039;Doing your own research&#039; means several different things to Americans\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-chart-builder-chart\" data-chart-view=\"chart\" data-allow-overlay=\"true\" data-wp-class--active=\"state.isActive\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-chart-builder-inner wp-block-prc-chart-builder-chart\" id=\"chart-block-2\" data-wp-key=\"8c8c23df-100f-4a32-a991-04fcd174c9e6-chart\" data-wp-interactive=\"prc-chart-builder\/chart\" data-prc-chart-id=\"8c8c23df-100f-4a32-a991-04fcd174c9e6-chart\" data-wp-context=\"{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;8c8c23df-100f-4a32-a991-04fcd174c9e6-chart&quot;}\" data-wp-watch---init-render=\"callbacks.watchForRender\" data-wp-watch---sync-navigation=\"callbacks.syncOnNavigation\" data-wp-on-window--resize=\"callbacks.watchForResize\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cb__text-wrapper\" style=\"max-width:420px;width:100%;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<hr class=\"cb__hr\" style=\"margin: 0 0 10px; max-width:420px;\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cb__title\" data-meta-field=\"title\">&#8216;Doing your own research&#8217; means several different things to Americans<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cb__subtitle\" data-meta-field=\"subtitle\">% of U.S. adults who say they usually think of each of the following when they hear about someone \u201cdoing their own research\u201d<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"8c8c23df-100f-4a32-a991-04fcd174c9e6-chart\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/02\/doing_your_own_research_means_several_different_things_to_americans-284244-1774972869.png\" alt=\"Chart\" class=\"chart-fallback chart-fallback--png\" style=\"width:420px;height:auto;\" \/><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cb__note cb__note--note\" data-meta-field=\"note\">Note: Respondents who did not answer are not shown.<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cb__note cb__note--source\" data-meta-field=\"source\">Source: Pew Research Center survey of U.S. adults conducted Dec. 8-14, 2025.<br>\u201cAmericans\u2019 Complicated Relationship With News\u201d<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cb__tag\" data-meta-field=\"tag\">PEW-KNIGHT INITIATIVE<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<hr class=\"cb__hr\" style=\"margin: 10px 0 0; max-width:420px;\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\t\t\t<!-- register a callback on this div to see if the native share is supported -->\n\t\t\t<div\n\t\t\t\tclass=\"share-modal__overlay\"\n\t\t\t\tid=\"share-modal__overlay-8c8c23df-100f-4a32-a991-04fcd174c9e6\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-wp-class--active=\"state.isActive\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-wp-class--web-share-supported=\"state.webShareSupported\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.hideModal\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-wp-on--keydown=\"actions.hideModal\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-chart-view=\"share\"\n\t\t\t><\/div>\n\t\t\t<!-- TODO: I would like to be able to use the social share block here. Need to modify it to work with the share modal. -->\n\t\t\t<div\n\t\t\t\tclass=\"share-modal\" id=\"share-modal-8c8c23df-100f-4a32-a991-04fcd174c9e6\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-wp-class--active=\"state.isActive\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-wp-class--web-share-supported=\"state.webShareSupported\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-chart-view=\"share\"\n\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"share-modal__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"share-modal__header\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"share-modal__title\">Share this chart<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\"share-modal__close\" aria-label=\"Close Share Modal\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.hideModal\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"dashicons dashicons-no-alt\"><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"share-modal__body\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<button\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"share-modal__button share-modal__button--twitter\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.shareTwitter\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-wp-on--keydown=\"actions.shareTwitter\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Share on X<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<button\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"share-modal__button share-modal__button--facebook\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.shareFacebook\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-wp-on--keydown=\"actions.shareFacebook\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Share on Facebook<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div><div class=\"wp-chart-builder-table\" data-chart-view=\"table\" data-wp-class--active=\"state.isActive\" id=\"8c8c23df-100f-4a32-a991-04fcd174c9e6-table\" style=\"max-width:420px;\">\t\t\t<hr style=\"margin: 0px 0px 10px; max-width: 420px;\">\n\t\t\t<div data-wp-interactive=\"prc-chart-builder\/chart\" data-wp-context=\"{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;8c8c23df-100f-4a32-a991-04fcd174c9e6-chart&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cb__title\" data-meta-field=\"title\">&#8216;Doing your own research&#8217; means several different things to Americans<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cb__subtitle\" data-meta-field=\"subtitle\">% of U.S. adults who say they usually think of each of the following when they hear about someone \u201cdoing their own research\u201d<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-chart-builder-table__inner\" style=\"max-width: 420px !important; margin-bottom: 0; overflow: auto;\">\n\t\t\t\t\n<figure class=\"wp-block-prc-block-table is-scroll-on-pc is-scroll-on-mobile chart-builder-data-table has-sans-serif-font-family has-small-font-size\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout is-sticky-first-column\"><thead><tr><th style=\"text-align:left;width:50%\"><\/th><th style=\"text-align:center\">Yes<\/th><th style=\"text-align:center\">No<\/th><th style=\"text-align:center\">Not sure<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td style=\"text-align:left;width:50%\" data-prc-v-col=\"0\">Discussing it with friends or family<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"1\">38%<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"2\">48%<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"3\">12%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"text-align:left;width:50%\" data-prc-v-col=\"0\">Looking for firsthand experiences or personal stories<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"1\">63%<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"2\">22%<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"3\">15%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"text-align:left;width:50%\" data-prc-v-col=\"0\">Questioning what official or governmental sources say<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"1\">68%<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"2\">18%<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"3\">14%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"text-align:left;width:50%\" data-prc-v-col=\"0\">Questioning what major news organizations are reporting<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"1\">70%<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"2\">17%<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"3\">12%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"text-align:left;width:50%\" data-prc-v-col=\"0\">Searching on Google or another search engine<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"1\">72%<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"2\">15%<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"3\">12%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"text-align:left;width:50%\" data-prc-v-col=\"0\">Looking at scientific studies<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"1\">77%<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"2\">11%<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"3\">12%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"text-align:left;width:50%\" data-prc-v-col=\"0\">Comparing information from different sources<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"1\">84%<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"2\">7%<\/td><td style=\"text-align:center\" data-prc-v-col=\"3\">8%<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<hr class=\"cb__download-data-button-hr\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"cb__download-data-button\">\n\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.downloadData\"\n\t\t\t\t\tdata-wp-on--keydown=\"actions.downloadData\"\n\t\t\t\t\ttabindex=\"0\"\n\t\t\t\t\trole=\"button\"\n\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"has-sans-serif-font-family\"\n\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t\tDownload data as .csv\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div data-wp-interactive=\"prc-chart-builder\/chart\" data-wp-context=\"{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;8c8c23df-100f-4a32-a991-04fcd174c9e6-chart&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cb__note cb__note--note\" data-meta-field=\"note\">Note: Respondents who did not answer are not shown.<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cb__note cb__note--source\" data-meta-field=\"source\">Source: Pew Research Center survey of U.S. adults conducted Dec. 8-14, 2025.<br>\u201cAmericans\u2019 Complicated Relationship With News\u201d<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cb__tag\" data-meta-field=\"tag\">PEW-KNIGHT INITIATIVE<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<hr style=\"margin: 10px 0px 0px; max-width: 420px;\">\n\t\t\t<\/div><div class=\"wp-chart-builder-view-buttons\" style=\"max-width:420px;\"><div class=\"wp-chart-builder-view-buttons__tabs\"><button class=\"view-button view-button--chart\" data-chart-view=\"chart\" data-chart-id=\"8c8c23df-100f-4a32-a991-04fcd174c9e6\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.setActiveTab\" data-wp-class--active=\"state.isActive\">Chart<\/button><button class=\"view-button view-button--table\" data-chart-view=\"table\" data-chart-id=\"8c8c23df-100f-4a32-a991-04fcd174c9e6\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.setActiveTab\" data-wp-class--active=\"state.isActive\">Data<\/button><\/div><div class=\"wp-chart-builder-view-buttons__actions\"><button class=\"view-button view-button--download-image\" data-chart-id=\"8c8c23df-100f-4a32-a991-04fcd174c9e6\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.downloadImage\">Download Image<\/button><button class=\"view-button view-button--share\" data-chart-view=\"share\" data-chart-id=\"8c8c23df-100f-4a32-a991-04fcd174c9e6\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.setActiveTab\" data-wp-class--active=\"state.isActive\">Share<\/button><\/div><\/div>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/figure><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" 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.<\/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, 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 <a href=\"mailto:journalism@pewresearch.org\">journalism@pewresearch.org<\/a> or fill out this <a href=\"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","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Briefing \u2600\ufe0f Happy Thursday! The Briefing is your guide to the world of news and information. Sign up here! In today&#8217;s email: \ud83d\udd25 Featured story New reporting from The New York Times on the spread of information about the cyclospora outbreak is shedding light on how competing narratives and conspiracy theories can take off [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","meta":{"sub_headline":"","sub_title":"","_prc_public_revisions":[],"_ppp_expiration_hours":0,"_ppp_enabled":false,"wpai_generated_summary":"","prc_watchers":[437],"footnotes":"","prc_email_subject":"How Americans assess health information amid cyclospora outbreak","prc_email_preview_text":"Plus, Polymarket partners with new media company; and are progressives moving away from legacy media?","prc_email_template_slug":"","prc_email_mailchimp_audience_id":"3e953b9b70","prc_email_mailchimp_segment_id":"37","prc_email_mailchimp_campaign_id":"84b085e4db","prc_email_mailchimp_campaign_admin_url":"https:\/\/us1.admin.mailchimp.com\/campaigns\/edit?id=10343884","prc_email_mailchimp_campaign_status":"sent","prc_email_mailchimp_pending_send_at":"","prc_email_mailchimp_delayed_send_cancelled":""},"categories":[],"bylines":[],"prc_newsletter_list":[3083],"_post_visibility":[2643],"formats":[2378],"workflow-status":[],"class_list":["post-349573","prc_email_campaign","type-prc_email_campaign","status-publish","hentry","_post_visibility-hidden-on-index","formats-newsletter"],"label":"Newsletter","post_parent":0,"word_count":861,"canonical_url":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/newsletter\/the-briefing\/how-americans-assess-health-information-amid-cyclospora-outbreak\/","charts":[{"id":284244,"title":"&#8216;Doing your own research&#8217; means several different things to Americans","pngUrl":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/02\/doing_your_own_research_means_several_different_things_to_americans-284244-1774972869.png","url":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/chart\/doing-your-own-research-means-several-different-things-to-americans\/"}],"art_direction":false,"_embeds":[],"prc_checklist":{},"watchChildPosts":false,"watchers":[{"id":437,"name":"Christopher Baronavski","email":"cbaronavski@pewresearch.org","slack_user_id":"U74NM8JJE","avatar_url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b667c7eee2bdba59efc551b8f335713714cdeafba09cc691dfbf07ccf8e97a37?s=48&d=mm&r=g"}],"table_of_contents":[],"datacite_doi":"","prc_seo_data":{"title":"How Americans assess health information amid cyclospora outbreak","description":"The Briefing \u2600\ufe0f Happy Thursday! 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