Trust in America: Do Americans trust the news media?
The declining public trust in the news media and polarization of news audiences have profound effects on civic life.
Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
The declining public trust in the news media and polarization of news audiences have profound effects on civic life.
Amid the back-and-forth between Twitter and President Trump, here are facts about Americans’ attitudes toward social media companies.
Just one-in-ten Americans say social media sites have a mostly positive effect on the way things are going in the U.S. today.
Many who use social media say they regularly see false or misleading content, but also view these platforms as offering new avenues for political engagement.
A majority of Republicans say technology firms support the views of liberals over conservatives and that social media platforms censor political viewpoints. Still, Americans tend to feel that these firms benefit them and – to a lesser degree – society.
Many experts say lack of trust won’t hinder increased public reliance on the internet. Some expect trust to grow as tech and regulatory changes arise; others think it will worsen or maybe change entirely.
People deal in varying ways with tensions about what information to trust and how much they want to learn. Some are interested and engaged with information; others are wary and stressed.
Experts are split on whether the coming years will see less misinformation online. Those who foresee improvement hope for technological and societal solutions. Others say bad actors using technology can exploit human vulnerabilities.
Facebook and YouTube dominate the social media landscape. But younger Americans, especially those ages 18 to 24, stand out in using a variety of platforms like Snapchat, Instagram and Twitter.
In the past year, Pew Research Center has explored a range of tech-related topics in the news – from online harassment to fake news to net neutrality. Here are some key findings from our research on these and other technology issues.
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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.
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