The Briefing
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In today’s email:
- Featured story: 25 years after 9/11, most Americans still remember where they were when they heard the news
- In other news: Pentagon used polygraphs to investigate leaks to journalists
- Looking ahead: Can AI help identify false narratives on social media?
- Chart of the week: Most Americans say it’s important to stay informed on key issues, but fewer feel highly informed themselves
🔥 Featured story
This week marks the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.
Even a quarter century later, the vast majority of Americans who were age 10 or older at the time (93%) say they remember exactly where they were or what they were doing the moment they heard the news about the attacks, according to a recent Pew Research Center survey.
In 2016, about three-quarters of U.S. adults (76%) named 9/11 as one of the top 10 historic events that occurred in their lifetime that had the greatest impact on the country – a far higher share than named any other event.
📌 In other news
- Pentagon gave polygraph tests to top military officials over leaks to journalists
- China’s restricted reporting in Tibet raises questions in flooding aftermath
- Tensions rise between White House and Fox News after Maria Bartiromo ouster
- Reflecting on the media’s role in the Lindsay Clancy trial
- Gloria Steinem, who died last week at 92, left an impact on the media through Ms. magazine
- 60 Minutes prepares for return after summer of big changes
- AP says it will not change style from Lake Ontario to Lake America
- NOTUS relaunches as The Washington Sun with many former Washington Post staff
- Australian lawmakers propose bill that would require social media platforms to let users turn off algorithms
- Jimmy Kimmel’s interview with James Talarico won’t air on ABC due to FCC concerns
📅 Looking ahead
An emerging tool known as Arbiter seeks to use artificial intelligence to analyze social media trends and help journalists identify false or misleading narratives. The nonprofit behind the tool is independent from social media companies and has begun to partner with news organizations around the world.
Although trust in information from news organizations has declined in recent years, Americans have consistently expressed even lower levels of trust in information from social media sites. In 2025, 37% of U.S. adults said they had at least some trust in the information they get from social media.
In a 2024 Center survey, we found that most people who get news on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Instagram and TikTok said they at least sometimes see news on these sites that seems inaccurate. Another 2024 survey asked people who get news from social media what they dislike the most about it. A lack of accuracy was the most common answer by far.
📊 Chart of the week
Americans overwhelmingly say it’s crucial for people to stay informed on various topics, according to a March survey. But far fewer say they’re highly informed about these topics themselves.
For example, large majorities of U.S. adults say it is extremely or very important for individual Americans to stay informed about the healthcare system (82%), immigration and citizenship policies (76%), and economic and tax policies (75%). But well below half say they are extremely or very informed about these topics.
| They are extremely or very informed about … | It is extremely or very important for individual Americans to stay informed about … | |
|---|---|---|
| The healthcare system | 34 | 82 |
| Voting and election processes | 50 | 82 |
| What the president can and cannot do | 36 | 80 |
| Immigration and citizenship policies | 39 | 76 |
| Economic and tax policies | 24 | 75 |
| Social Security | 31 | 72 |
| U.S. foreign policy | 23 | 71 |
| Gun regulation | 33 | 69 |
| Childhood vaccine policies | 31 | 69 |
| Federal regulation of technology and media companies | 15 | 52 |
| Marijuana regulation | 23 | 31 |
👋 That’s all for this week.
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.
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