News Media Ethics and Practices

After three months of news and information, 64% of U.S. adults say the CDC mostly gets the facts about the outbreak right; 30% say the same about President Trump and his administration.

59% of Americans think news organizations do not understand people like them, while a minority – 37% – say they do feel understood.

Among black Americans, 72% say coverage has been good or excellent and 85% say Trump’s message has been completely or mostly wrong.

Amy Mitchell (Pew Research Center), Philip Howard (University of Oxford), Jane Lytvynenko (Buzzfeed News) and Lori Robertson (Factcheck.org) discuss misinformation during the coronavirus outbreak, and ahead of the 2020 presidential election, as part of SXSW 2020's virtual sessions.

The percentage who say journalists have exaggerated the risks of the outbreak has decreased notably in recent weeks.

Nearly three out of four U.S. adults say that, in general, it’s important for journalists to function as watchdogs over elected officials.

Black adults stand out for their trust in local news organizations, and they are more likely to feel connected to their main source of news.

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

Overall, about two-in-ten Americans say they have ever spoken with or been interviewed by a local journalist.

There are partisan divisions over certain aspects of local news reporting, including whether local journalists should express views on local issues.