Michael Barthel

Roughly nine-in-ten Democrats say news media criticism keeps leaders in line (sometimes called the news media’s “watchdog role”), while only about four-in-ten Republicans say the same.

Large majorities of both Democrats and Republicans say the relationship between the two is unhealthy.

When we asked people if they regularly got news about the 2016 presidential election through either the print or online version of four specific U.S. newspapers, three of these papers – The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal – attracted more adults younger than 50 than 50 and older as regular readers.

Trump voters named one source more than any other as their main source of election news, whereas Clinton voters were spread across an array of sources.

About two-in-three U.S. adults say fake news stories cause a great deal of confusion about the basic facts of current issues. And nearly a quarter say they have ever shared completely made-up news.

A majority of U.S. adults (59%) reject the idea of adding interpretation, saying that the news media should present the facts alone

Americans who are highly attached to their communities and who always vote in local elections stand out for displaying stronger local news habits than those less engaged.

As the news media cover the turbulent 2016 presidential election, there’s been considerable debate around how much emphasis they should put on inaccurate or potentially offensive statements made by candidates.

Digital innovation has had a major impact on the public's news habits. How have these changes shaped Americans’ appetite for and attitudes toward the news?

The State of the News Media in 2016 is uncertain, with daily newspapers looking shakier than ever, digital advertising and audiences continuing to grow, and TV news mostly seeing gains in revenue.