Americans’ Views of the News Media During the COVID-19 Outbreak
More Americans hold positive than negative views of the news media’s COVID-19 coverage, but Republicans and Democrats remain starkly divided.
Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
More Americans hold positive than negative views of the news media’s COVID-19 coverage, but Republicans and Democrats remain starkly divided.
While U.S. Democrats turn to a variety of outlets for political news, no source comes close to matching the appeal of Fox News for Republicans.
Despite the spread of the conspiracy theories, about three-quarters of U.S. adults say they have heard or read nothing at all about them.
Many U.S. news organizations are covering the coronavirus pandemic while themselves facing financial pressure from the outbreak.
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.
Among black Americans, 72% say coverage has been good or excellent and 85% say Trump’s message has been completely or mostly wrong.
66% of Americans feel worn out by the amount of news there is these days – a feeling that has persisted for several years now.
Getting news from social media is an increasingly common experience; nearly three-in-ten U.S. adults do so often.
There are notable differences between white and black Democrats in news consumption habits and assessments of recent political events and figures in the news.
1615 L St. NW, Suite 800
Washington, DC 20036
USA
(+1) 202-419-4300 | Main
(+1) 202-857-8562 | Fax
(+1) 202-419-4372 | Media Inquiries
ABOUT PEW RESEARCH CENTER Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts.
© 2024 Pew Research Center