Misinformation

About half say they have seen at least some made-up news about the virus; 29% think it was created in a lab.

Concern is highest among people who follow political news most closely, older adults and those who display more knowledge about politics in general.

There's broad concern among Democrats and Republicans about the influence that made-up news could have during the 2020 presidential election.

Both Democrats and Republicans express far more distrust than trust of social media sites as sources for political and election news.

Getting news from social media is an increasingly common experience; nearly three-in-ten U.S. adults do so often.

Many Americans think declining trust in the government and in each other makes it harder to solve key problems. They have a wealth of ideas about what’s gone wrong and how to fix it.

Republicans largely say fact-checking by news outlets and other organizations favors one side. Democrats mostly think it is fair to all sides.

A majority of Americans say altered videos and images create confusion about current issues, and most support restrictions on such content.

Politicians viewed as major creators of it, but journalists seen as the ones who should fix it

Republicans and Democrats are particularly divided on how closely they connect made-up news to the news media or to President Trump.