Black U.S. adults follow many COVID-19 news topics more closely, discuss the outbreak more frequently
Black adults were much more likely than whites and somewhat more likely than Hispanic adults to frequently discuss the pandemic with others.
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Black adults were much more likely than whites and somewhat more likely than Hispanic adults to frequently discuss the pandemic with others.
The percentage who say journalists have exaggerated the risks of the outbreak has decreased notably in recent weeks.
A new analysis of open-ended responses to a survey of U.S. adults looks at the specific storylines or claims about COVID-19 that Americans said they were exposed to.
More than two-thirds of adults ages 65 or older said they were following news of the pandemic very closely.
People in this group are most likely to say the outbreak has been made too big of a deal and journalists have been exaggerating the risks.
Responses to cable news coverage and the pandemic vary notably among Americans who identify Fox News, MSNBC or CNN as their main source of political news.
About half say they have seen at least some made-up news about the virus; 29% think it was created in a lab.
61% give equal attention to national and local coronavirus news.
Among black Americans, 72% say coverage has been good or excellent and 85% say Trump’s message has been completely or mostly wrong.
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