How media sources distort Americans’ understanding of reality

Below are five charts on where Americans get their news, how Americans differ by their preferred news source, and how this contributes to different understandings of reality

The author(s)
  • Clifford Young President, US, Public Affairs
  • Sarah Feldman Editorial Director, US, Public Affairs
  • Bernard Mendez Data Journalist, US, Public Affairs
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Public opinion is often viewed through the lens of political party, diverging between Democrats and Republicans. But perhaps a more telling indicator of political beliefs is Americans’ preferred media sources, particularly among viewers of conservative media or social media.

New Ipsos polling suggests where people turn to for news not only reflects peoples’ differences in opinion, they affect people’s understanding of reality.

Below are five charts on where Americans get their news, how Americans differ by their preferred news source, and how this contributes to different understandings of reality.

  1. Where do Americans get their news? Americans’ news diets vary widely. Roughly a third get their news from “mainstream” sources, like network news or national newspapers, while ten percent get their news from Fox News or conservative media.
  2. What is the most important issue facing America? It depends where you get your news. Right-wing media viewers say immigration; main-stream media viewers say threats to democracy; the average American says inflation.
  3. Two realities. It’s not just that a person’s preferred news source reflects differences in opinion – these news sources create two different realities. These distorted realities aren’t always factually sound. Compared to the average American, conservative media are two times more likely to incorrectly believe immigrants commit more crimes than the U.S. born population or that Trump won the 2020 election.
  4. Election trust. Conservative media spent much of aftermath of the 2020 election fanning the flames of conspiracy theories about the election. Consequently, viewers of conservative media are far less likely to trust that the upcoming election will be fair. Are we being set up for another election season with the potential for political violence?
  5. Two ends of the spectrum. Unsurprisingly, viewers of CNN and MSNBC are overwhelmingly pro-Biden, while Fox News and conservative media viewers are overwhelmingly pro-Trump. In fact, consumers of these media sources are more pro-Biden or pro-Trump than Democrats and Republicans as a whole, respectively.

The idea that many Americans receive information from vastly different media silos isn’t particularly new. But as we enter the 2024 election season, it’s important to understand that media sources, particularly at the edges, affect Americans’ opinions and what they believe is true perhaps more than just party identification. Don’t expect this to go away any time soon.

The author(s)
  • Clifford Young President, US, Public Affairs
  • Sarah Feldman Editorial Director, US, Public Affairs
  • Bernard Mendez Data Journalist, US, Public Affairs

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