Trust in America: Do Americans trust the news media?
The declining public trust in the news media and polarization of news audiences have profound effects on civic life.
Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
The declining public trust in the news media and polarization of news audiences have profound effects on civic life.
The more confident people are that members of powerful groups behave unethically, the less likely they are to have confidence in that group’s performance.
A plurality of experts think sweeping societal change will make life worse for most people. Still, a portion believe things will be better in a ‘tele-everything’ world.
Lee Rainie, director of Internet, Science and Technology research at the Pew Research Center, described the Center’s research about public views related to facts and trust after the 2016 election at UPCEA’s “Summit on Online Leadership.”
Experts are split on whether the coming years will see less misinformation online. Those who foresee improvement hope for technological and societal solutions. Others say bad actors using technology can exploit human vulnerabilities.
Many experts fear uncivil and manipulative behaviors on the internet will persist – and may get worse.
More than a quarter of American adults – 26% – used their cell phones to learn about or participate in the 2010 mid-term election campaign.
Twice as many Americans used the internet as their primary source of news about the 2006 campaign compared with the most recent mid-term election in 2002.
New research shows that the Web sites of newspapers are gaining ground.
11% of American internet users followed the returns on election night online.
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