Most say journalists should be watchdogs, but views of how well they fill this role vary by party, media diet
Nearly three out of four U.S. adults say that, in general, it’s important for journalists to function as watchdogs over elected officials.
Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
Nearly three out of four U.S. adults say that, in general, it’s important for journalists to function as watchdogs over elected officials.
Americans who closely follow political news are more likely to have confidence that the public will accept election results. And that’s true across party boundaries.
Concern is highest among people who follow political news most closely, older adults and those who display more knowledge about politics in general.
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.
Democrats are more likely than Republicans to have stopped discussing political and election news with someone: 50% vs. 41%, respectively.
Both Democrats and Republicans express far more distrust than trust of social media sites as sources for political and election news.
The public’s sense about the pandemic’s impact on the financial well-being of most news organizations is far from clear.
More than half of these social media news consumers say they have encountered made-up news about COVID-19.
In total, 20% of all Democrats get political news only from outlets with left-leaning audiences, while 18% of all Republicans do so only from outlets with right-leaning audiences.
The percentage who say journalists have exaggerated the risks of the outbreak has decreased notably in recent weeks.
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