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.
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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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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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Use of election forecasts in campaign coverage can confuse voters and may lower turnout
Probability forecasts have gained prominence in recent years. But these forecasts may confuse potential voters and may even lower the likelihood that they vote.
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For election news, young people turned to some national papers more than their elders
When we asked people if they regularly got news about the 2016 presidential election through either the print or online version of four specific U.S. newspapers, three of these papers – The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal – attracted more adults younger than 50 than 50 and older as regular readers.
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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.
