5 key findings from our latest Election News Pathways survey, from impeachment to the Democratic race
59% of Americans are following news about the 2020 candidates closely, but far fewer are following it very closely at this stage of the race.
Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
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About one-fifth of Democrats and Republicans get political news in a kind of media bubble
In total, 20% of all Democrats get political news only from outlets with left-leaning audiences, while 18% of all Republicans do so only from outlets with right-leaning audiences.
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Most say journalists should be watchdogs, but views of how well they fill this role vary by party, media diet
Nearly three out of four U.S. adults say that, in general, it’s important for journalists to function as watchdogs over elected officials.
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Concern about influence of made-up news on the election is lowest among those paying the least attention
Concern is highest among people who follow political news most closely, older adults and those who display more knowledge about politics in general.
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Confidence in public acceptance of election results connects to following political news, relying on social media
Americans who closely follow political news are more likely to have confidence that the public will accept election results. And that’s true across party boundaries.
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Democrats, Republicans each expect made-up news to target their own party more than the other in 2020
There’s broad concern among Democrats and Republicans about the influence that made-up news could have during the 2020 presidential election.
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A sore subject: Almost half of Americans have stopped talking politics with someone
Democrats are more likely than Republicans to have stopped discussing political and election news with someone: 50% vs. 41%, respectively.
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An oasis of bipartisanship: Republicans and Democrats distrust social media sites for political and election news
Both Democrats and Republicans express far more distrust than trust of social media sites as sources for political and election news.
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Protests in Lebanon highlight ubiquity of WhatsApp, dissatisfaction with government
Amid unrest, here is a closer look at Lebanon’s widespread use of WhatsApp, as well as unhappiness with the political and economic situation.
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46% of U.S. social media users say they are ‘worn out’ by political posts and discussions
Well before the 2020 election, many U.S. social media users are already exhausted by how many political posts they see on these platforms.
