Amy S. Mitchell is director of journalism research at Pew Research Center. She is responsible for the Center’s research related to news and information, including how the public accesses, engages with and creates news, what news organizations are providing and how technology is changing all of these elements. Signature publications include The Modern News Consumer, Political Polarization and Media Habits and the State of the News Media fact sheets, as well as continued studies analyzing the role of social media in news and the use of new research methods to explore emerging trends. Mitchell is an expert in research design, methods evaluation, analysis and writing. She specializes in how technology is changing the flow of news information today and the influence of political identity on news choices. Prior to joining Pew Research Center, Mitchell was a congressional research associate at the American Enterprise Institute, where she researched public policy and the relationship of the press, the public and government. She speaks frequently to national and international audiences, including government leaders, news and information providers, technology companies and fellow researchers. Mitchell also makes regular appearances in the news media to discuss the Center’s research findings.
Amy Mitchell
Twitter: asmitch
Publications
How Americans Navigated the News in 2020: A Tumultuous Year in Review
Americans inhabited different information environments, with wide gaps in how they viewed the election and COVID-19.
News Use Across Social Media Platforms in 2020
About half of U.S. adults say they get news from social media “often” or “sometimes,” and this use is spread out across a number of different sites. Facebook stands out as a regular source of news for about a third of Americans.
Most Republicans Approve of Trump’s Post-election Messaging, but About a Third Say It Has Been Wrong
Partisans differ on whether social media companies’ decisions had a major impact on the election.
Measuring News Consumption in a Digital Era
As news outlets morph and multiply, both surveys and passive data collection tools face challenges.
Americans Plan To Follow Election Returns Closely; Biden Supporters More Confident Their News Sources Will Make Right Call
Biden supporters are more likely than Trump supporters to be confident their news sources will make the right call in announcing a winner. And partisans remain worlds apart on how well the U.S. has controlled the coronavirus outbreak.
Republicans who rely most on Trump for COVID-19 news see the outbreak differently from those who don’t
Among Republicans, opinions about the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S. differ considerably by source of news.
Before Trump Tested Positive for Coronavirus, Republicans’ Attention to Pandemic Had Sharply Declined
About two-thirds of Republicans say the U.S. has controlled the outbreak as much as it could have; 88% of Democrats disagree.
Political Divides, Conspiracy Theories and Divergent News Sources Heading Into 2020 Election
Republicans are about four times as likely as Democrats to say voter fraud has been a major issue with mail-in ballots.
Americans See Skepticism of News Media as Healthy, Say Public Trust in the Institution Can Improve
72% of U.S. adults say news organizations do an insufficient job telling their audiences where their money comes from.
Americans Who Mainly Get Their News on Social Media Are Less Engaged, Less Knowledgeable
U.S. adults in this group are less likely to get the facts right about COVID-19 and politics and more likely to hear some unproven claims.
