How America Changed During Barack Obama’s Presidency
Pew Research Center President Michael Dimock examines the changes – some profound, some subtle – that the U.S. experienced during Barack Obama’s presidency.
Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
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Many Americans Believe Fake News Is Sowing Confusion
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.
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TV still the top source for election results, but digital platforms rise
Nearly nine-in-ten voters who followed the 2016 returns (88%) did so on TV, while 48% used online platforms; 21% used social networks such as Twitter and Facebook.
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Majority of U.S. adults think news media should not add interpretation to the facts
A majority of U.S. adults (59%) reject the idea of adding interpretation, saying that the news media should present the facts alone
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Most Americans trust the military and scientists to act in the public’s interest
Three-quarters or more of Americans are confident in the military, medical scientists and scientists in general to act in the best interests of the public. But fewer than half report similar confidence in the news media, business leaders and elected officials.
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Putting post-debate ‘flash polls’ into perspective
In the aftermath of presidential debates, there is intense interest in gauging “who won.” How can we know the answer to that question?
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In Presidential Contest, Voters Say ‘Basic Facts,’ Not Just Policies, Are in Dispute
n the contentious weeks leading up to Election Day, voters are deeply divided over the candidates, major issues and the nation’s past and future course. And, in a new survey, most voters say these differences even extend to disputes over basic facts.
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Americans more tolerant of offensive speech than others in the world
Enshrined in the Bill of Rights, free expression is a bedrock American principle, and Americans tend to express stronger support for free expression than many others around the world.
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Candidates’ social media outpaces their websites and emails as an online campaign news source
A quarter of U.S. adults (24%) turn to social media posts from either the Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump campaigns as a way of keeping up with the election, while 10% turn to their websites and 9% turn to emails.
