The results of the Pearson Institute/AP-NORC poll didn’t surprise Alex Mahadevan, director of MediaWise, a media literacy initiative launched by the Poynter Institute that works to equip individuals with defenses in the fight against misinformation. The spread of misinformation in recent decades has coincided with the rise of social media and declines in traditional, often local journalism outlets. Capitol, COVID-19 conspiracy theories or disinformation about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, online misinformation has been blamed for increased political polarization, distrust of institutions and even real-world violence. Whether it’s lies about the 2020 election or the Jan. “Nobody does the research to find out if anything is fake or not.” I see it everywhere,” 63-year-old Democrat Charles Lopez from the Florida Keys said of the misinformation he encounters. “My Facebook page is loaded with this stuff. About a third say they do so hardly ever or never. Only 28% of Americans consult fact-checking sites or tools “most of the time,” though an additional 35% do some of the time. Similar percentages regularly check the sources of news they encounter and check other sources of information to ensure they’re not encountering misinformation. Overall, roughly three-quarters of adults say they have decided not to share something on social media at least some of the time because they didn’t want to spread misinformation, including about half who do that most of the time. Similarly, 85% of Democrats and 72% of Republicans say misinformation increases hate crimes, including violence motivated by gender, religion or race. Only 8% say misinformation isn’t a problem at all.īig majorities of both parties - 80% of Democrats and 70% of Republicans - say misinformation increases extreme political views, according to the survey. Overall, 91% of adults say the spread of misinformation is a problem, with 74% calling it a major problem. The Pearson Institute/AP-NORC survey shows that regardless of political ideology, Americans agree misinformation is leaving a mark on the country. “It’s all about getting clicks, not the truth, and it’s the extremes that get the attention.” “We’re at a point now where the misinformation is so bad you can trust very little of what you read in the media or social media,” said 49-year-old Republican Brett Reffeitt of Indianapolis, who participated in the survey. That’s according to the poll from the Pearson Institute and The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. adults say misinformation is leading to more extreme political views and behaviors such as instances of violence based on race, religion or gender. Americans from across the political spectrum say misinformation is increasing political extremism and hate crimes, according to a new poll that reflects broad and significant concerns about false and misleading claims ahead of next month’s midterm elections.Ībout three-quarters of U.S.
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