These days we’re always hearing about “fake news” by our President and other sources in the media, but are people in America really worried about it? Well, according to a new survey, the answer is 'yes.' A poll of 1,126 U.S. adults, 18 years and older, finds that 82% of Americans are worried about the impact fake news may have on the credibility of the news they receive, and the concern is high for all political parties, genders and age groups, although it increases with age.
Overall, 75% of Americans admit it’s hard to identify what news if real and what is not, with 70% of people saying they’ve read a fake news story. And Americans believe fake news is causing some real issues, with 71% thinking it’s to blame for incivility in society, with 69% percent of Americans thinking our country has a real civility problem right now. What’s more, 58% of Americans believe our country’s civility could improve if social media sites and search engines cracked down on fake stories.
As for who’s to blame for the spread of fake news, the most common scapegoats seem to be the media, social media, attention seekers and political parties and politicians. And folks themselves don’t think they take any responsibility for the spread of fake news, with only 9% of people admitting they ever shared a fake story online.