A recent survey found that 60 percent of U.S. respondents believed that the media downplaying the risk of COVID-19 could harm public health. Political affiliation gave rise to a divergence of opinion, as 84 percent of Democrats strongly agreed that news organizations downplaying the threat of coronavirus puts the health of the public in jeopardy, compared to 35 percent of Republicans.
Share of adults who agree that news organizations that downplay the threat of coronavirus jeopardize public health in the United States as of May 2020, by political affiliation
Question: Please indicate your level of agreement with the following statement: Any news organization that attempts to downplay the threat of the coronavirus puts the health of the public in jeopardy.
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Knight Foundation. (May 26, 2020). Share of adults who agree that news organizations that downplay the threat of coronavirus jeopardize public health in the United States as of May 2020, by political affiliation [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved February 13, 2025, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1132392/news-downplaying-coronavirus-threat-us-by-politics/?__sso_cookie_checker=failed
Knight Foundation. "Share of adults who agree that news organizations that downplay the threat of coronavirus jeopardize public health in the United States as of May 2020, by political affiliation." Chart. May 26, 2020. Statista. Accessed February 13, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1132392/news-downplaying-coronavirus-threat-us-by-politics/?__sso_cookie_checker=failed
Knight Foundation. (2020). Share of adults who agree that news organizations that downplay the threat of coronavirus jeopardize public health in the United States as of May 2020, by political affiliation. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: February 13, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1132392/news-downplaying-coronavirus-threat-us-by-politics/?__sso_cookie_checker=failed
Knight Foundation. "Share of Adults Who Agree That News Organizations That Downplay The Threat of Coronavirus Jeopardize Public Health in The United States as of May 2020, by Political Affiliation." Statista, Statista Inc., 26 May 2020, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1132392/news-downplaying-coronavirus-threat-us-by-politics/?__sso_cookie_checker=failed
Knight Foundation, Share of adults who agree that news organizations that downplay the threat of coronavirus jeopardize public health in the United States as of May 2020, by political affiliation Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1132392/news-downplaying-coronavirus-threat-us-by-politics/?__sso_cookie_checker=failed (last visited February 13, 2025)
Share of adults who agree that news organizations that downplay the threat of coronavirus jeopardize public health in the United States as of May 2020, by political affiliation [Graph], Knight Foundation, May 26, 2020. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1132392/news-downplaying-coronavirus-threat-us-by-politics/?__sso_cookie_checker=failed