Misinformation

A new analysis of open-ended responses to a survey of U.S. adults looks at the specific storylines or claims about COVID-19 that Americans said they were exposed to.

Responses to cable news coverage and the pandemic vary notably among Americans who identify Fox News, MSNBC or CNN as their main source of political news.

Despite the spread of the conspiracy theories, about three-quarters of U.S. adults say they have heard or read nothing at all about them.

More than half of these social media news consumers say they have encountered made-up news about COVID-19.

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.