---
title: "1. Americans are turning to media, government and others for COVID-19 news"
description: "The fast-moving coronavirus story has maintained Americans’ rapt attention. Roughly nine-in-ten U.S. adults (87%) are following news about the virus very or fairly closely, with just under half (46%) doing so very closely. Americans are also turning to a broad mix of sources for this news, whether traditional media outlets – national, local and international […]"
date: "2020-04-29"
authors:
  - name: "Amy Mitchell"
    job_title: "Former Director, Journalism Research"
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/amy-mitchell/"
  - name: "J. Baxter Oliphant"
    job_title: "Senior Researcher "
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/baxter-oliphant/"
  - name: "Elisa Shearer"
    job_title: "Senior Researcher"
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/elisa-shearer/"
url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/2020/04/29/1-americans-are-turning-to-media-government-and-others-for-covid-19-news/"
categories:
  - "American News Pathways 2020 Project"
  - "COVID-19 & Politics"
  - "COVID-19 in the News"
  - "Misinformation"
  - "News Coverage"
  - "News Platforms & Sources"
datasets:
  - name: "American News Pathways April 2020 Survey"
    url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/dataset/election-news-pathways-april-2020-survey/"
---

# 1. Americans are turning to media, government and others for COVID-19 news

[![Public health organizations play prominent role as a news source about the coronavirus outbreak](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2020/04/Pathways_04.29.20.ch1-1.png?w=744)](https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/2020/04/29/1-americans-are-turning-to-media-government-and-others-for-covid-19-news/pathways_04-29-20-ch1-1-png/)

The fast-moving coronavirus story has maintained Americans’ rapt attention. Roughly nine-in-ten U.S. adults (87%) are following news about the virus very or fairly closely, with just under half (46%) doing so very closely.

Americans are also turning to a broad mix of sources for this news, whether traditional media outlets – national, local and international – or other sources such as public health organizations.

National news outlets are a major source of coronavirus news for the largest segment of U.S. adults (56%). But nearly as many (51%) say this of public health organizations and officials. That is followed by 46% who rely on local news outlets as major sources of news, and, at the more local level, 36% who say state and local elected officials are major sources of COVID-19 news. About three-in-ten (31%) say Donald Trump and the coronavirus task force are a major source of news about the outbreak.

With the outbreak affecting countries around the world, 25% of the American public turns to international news outlets as major sources of news.

[![About a quarter say they rely most on national news outlets for coronavirus news](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2020/04/Pathways_04.29.20.ch1-0.png?w=531)](https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/2020/04/29/1-americans-are-turning-to-media-government-and-others-for-covid-19-news/pathways_04-29-20-ch1-0-png/)

A smaller portion of Americans (16%) say friends, family and neighbors are a major source of news for them (another 54% say these individuals are a minor source). Closer to one-in-ten rely heavily on online forums and discussion groups (10%) as well as community newsletters and Listservs (8%), while presidential candidate Joe Biden and his campaign are a major source of coronavirus news for just 5% of Americans.

Respondents were next asked which of these 10 sources they rely on the *most* for coronavirus news. National news outlets rank first at 26%. Next come a group of three that are all at about the same level: public health organizations and officials (18% rely on them most), local news outlets (18%) and Trump and the task force (16%).

Nearly four-in-ten Americans (37%) say that in keeping up with coronavirus news, [they have turned to different news sources than normal](https://www.pewresearch.org/pathways-2020/covidnewsswitch/us_adults/).

---

**Next:** [2. COVID-19: Both a national and local news story](https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/2020/04/29/2-covid-19-both-a-national-and-local-news-story.md)