NEW POLL: Disturbing 71% of Journos Say False or Fake News is a ‘Very Big Problem’ In America

Seventy-one percent of U.S. journalists say made-up news is a “very big problem” for the United States, according to a new Pew poll.

Almost 12,000 U.S. journalists were polled between Feb. 16 and March 17.

The 71 percent figure is greater than the 50 percent of U.S. adults who say false or fake news is problematic in America. That 50 percent finding came from a Pew study conducted between March 7 and March 13, which was also published in Wednesday’s report.

“Fake news” is a term that was coined by former President Donald Trump during his run for president in 2016. During his presidency, Trump accused journalists and news outlets of peddling false information about him and his administration.

In the same poll, 52 percent of journalists say it is not possible to report news almost everyone deems accurate, while 47 percent say it is possible. The respective figures among U.S. adults are 62 percent and 37 percent.

Furthermore, according to the poll, “65 [percent] of journalists say news organizations do a very or somewhat good job reporting the news accurately, 35 [percent] of the public agrees, while 43 [percent] of U.S. adults say journalists do a bad job of this.”

Additionally, 77 percent say “they would pursue a career in journalism again,” 75 percent say they’re “extremely or very proud of their work,” and 70 percent say they “are very or somewhat satisfied with their job,” according to the poll, which was released on Tuesday.

Moreover, according to the poll, 72 percent of respondents used “a negative word” including “struggling” and “chaos” to label the news industry, while 57 percent “are extremely or very concerned about future restrictions on press freedoms” in the United States.

When it comes to misinformation, most journalists surveyed say they have encountered it while doing their job and most of them claim they can recognize it, while 26 percent “say they have unknowingly reported on a story that was later found to contain false information.”

According to the poll, 64 percent of respondents say combatting misinformation is best done by “report[ing] on the statement because it is important for the public to know about” as opposed to 32 percent saying to “not report on the statement because it gives attention to the falsehoods and the public figure.”