Americans Think Fake News Is Big Problem, Blame Politicians

Half of U.S. adults consider fake news a major problem, and they mostly blame politicians and activists for it, according to a new survey.

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A majority also believe journalists have the responsibility for fixing it. Differences in political affiliation are a major factor in how people think about fake news, as Republicans are more likely than Democrats to also blame journalists for the problem.

The question of how to deal with made-up or misleading stories has embroiled politicians, civil-rights organizations and tech companies in the aftermath of misinformation campaignsby Russians and others aimed at undermining democratic institutions in the U.S. and Europe.

A survey from the Pew Research Center, released this week, finds that 68% of U.S. adults believe fake news affects confidence in government institutions. Misinformation was cited more often as a major problem than sexism, racism, illegal immigration or terrorism.

Pew typically left the definition of “made-up news and information” open-ended, though some questions specified that it was information “intended to mislead the public.”