Media Habits in the Age of “Fake News”

The media world is rapidly changing. Traditional news organizations are struggling to find their footing as financial challenges, technological shifts and quickly changing consumer behaviors force them to reinvent themselves—and often. Free content is disrupting traditional pay-models, the increasing use of smartphones is opening up new channels for consumption, the low barriers to entry for content producers have overpopulated the news space, and younger audiences are overturning reliable indicators of consumer behavior. Add to this a growing suspicion about institutions and the ongoing assault on truth (or, at the least, on facts), and you have a recipe for a volatile relationship between “the media” and “the audience.”

What role does news media play in informing the public? Which outlets are earning trust (and clicks)? And what on earth do Americans make of “fake news?” Drawing from a number of Barna studies, here’s a look at this complex media moment in history.

The Truth About “Fake News” Misreporting or making up stories has always been a dark, occasional reality of journalism. But in the past year, “fake news” quickly emerged into the public vernacular, particularly in connection to Facebook’s inability to keep misleading articles and conspiracy theories from going viral, including the infamous “Pizzagate” story, the widely circulated report that Pope Francis endorsed Donald Trump for president or the Democratic claim that Ireland was welcoming disgruntled Americans fleeing a Trump presidency.

Alarm over these extreme examples contributed to a sometimes unfounded public skepticism of all media. As a result, during and after the 2016 election, accusations of reports being “fake” became a political weapon, wielded from all sides, further fueling media mistrust. As of September 2016, even before many of the scandals that defined the election, almost four in 10 (38%) believed the media were at least inconsistent in their coverage. Despite this skepticism, however, most people admit the news media had a decisive influence over their personal choice to support a certain candidate (60%), especially compared to other types of media like T.V. (50%), social media (40%), campaign advertising (39%) and political commentators on radio (34%). Post-election, the indiscriminate application of the term “fake news” has made its meaning and sources difficult to discern, drawing battle lines among politicians, pundits and the public alike.

So, what do Americans really think fake news is? It appears its divisive nature may have more to do with its own muddy definitions than media’s clear deceptions.

Media Habits in the Age of “Fake News”

Media Habits in the Age of “Fake News”

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