In a rare instance of demographic differences, whites are more likely than blacks and Hispanics to say they often see fake news, and those with annual incomes of at least $75,000 are more likely than those who make less than $75,000 to say so.Īmericans show some discernment between almost completely made up political news stories and those that are partially inaccurate. adults (32%) say they often see fake political news online, while 39% sometimes see such stories and 26% hardly ever or never do. About a third say they often see fake political news online ![]() There are also no consistent differences in who feels very confident in terms of age, gender, income or race. (This is similar to Americans’ general faith in their ability to tell when information online is trustworthy.)Īgain, there are no differences between partisans: 36% of Republicans, 41% of Democrats and 40% of independents say they are very confident in their ability to recognize news that is made up. Only 9% are not very confident, and 6% are not at all confident. About four-in-ten (39%) are very confident, while another 45% are somewhat confident. Americans generally confident in their ability to identify fake newsĪlthough Americans see fake news as causing a great deal of confusion in general, most are at least somewhat confident in their own ability to identify when a news story is almost completely made up. While a majority of those who make less than $30,000 a year say fake news causes a great deal of confusion (58%), this is a lower proportion than among those who make between $30,000 and $75,000 (65%) and those who make $75,000 or more (73%). This perception is also mostly consistent across education, race, gender and age, though there is some difference by income. And although independents outpace Republicans (69% say fake news causes a great deal of confusion), they are on par with Democrats. About six-in-ten Republicans say completely made-up news causes a great deal of confusion (57%), and about the same portion of Democrats say the same (64%). While fake news became an issue during the highly charged 2016 presidential election campaign, Republicans and Democrats are about equally likely to say that these stories leave Americans deeply confused about current events. Sense that fake news causes confusion crosses party and demographic lines Just 15% of Americans place a great deal of responsibility on all three of these groups, while a majority (58%) feels instead that one or two of them bear a great deal of responsibility. Although the overall portion of Americans who place responsibility on each is about equal, individuals have different perspectives on how that responsibility should be distributed. adults say government, politicians and elected officials bear a great deal of responsibility for preventing made-up stories from gaining attention, on par with the 43% that say this of the public and the 42% who say this of social networking sites and search engines. When it comes to how to prevent the spread of fake news, many Americans expect social networking sites, politicians and the public itself to do their share. Overall, 23% say they have ever shared a made-up news story, with 14% saying they shared a story they knew was fake at the time and 16% having shared a story they later realized was fake. While it is difficult to measure the precise extent to which people actually see news that has been completely fabricated – given that news consumers could see but not recognize made-up news stories as well as mistake factual stories for false ones - these figures provide a high-level sense of the public’s perception of this kind of content.Īnd some Americans say they themselves have shared fake news. Overall, about a third (32%) of Americans say they often see political news stories online that are made up. Though they sense these stories are spreading confusion, Americans express a fair amount of confidence in their own ability to detect fake news, with about four-in-ten (39%) feeling very confident that they can recognize news that is fabricated and another 45% feeling somewhat confident. These results come from a survey of 1,002 U.S. This sense is shared widely across incomes, education levels, partisan affiliations and most other demographic characteristics. adults (64%) say fabricated news stories cause a great deal of confusion about the basic facts of current issues and events. ![]() pizza restaurant under the impression that it was hiding a child prostitution ring.Īccording to a new survey by Pew Research Center, most Americans suspect that made-up news is having an impact. Some fake news has been widely shared, and so-called “ pizzagate” stories led a North Carolina man to bring a gun into a popular Washington, D.C. In the wake of the 2016 election, everyone from President Obama to Pope Francis has raised concerns about fake news and the potential impact on both political life and innocent individuals.
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