With viewers hungry for news about the coronavirus, media users are giving good grades to the news industry’s response, according to a new survey.
While the public is split overall on the media’s virus coverage, 54%-46%, it’s TV’s Big Three and newspapers that it has confidence in, according to a media report from the Pew Research Center.
“Amid the financial challenges facing newsrooms, 54% of U.S. adults say the news media have done an excellent or good job responding to the coronavirus outbreak, according to a survey conducted March 19-24 as part of Pew Research Center’s Election News Pathways project. A slightly smaller share (46%) says the media’s response has been only fair or poor,” said Pew.
What’s more, the survey found that nearly 6 in 10 are following the coronavirus story closely, so there could be an added advantage for media outlets of a larger audience when it is over.
“Americans who get political and election news from two platforms — network television and print publications — are the most likely to say the news media are doing an excellent or good job responding to the coronavirus outbreak,” said Pew, adding, “Around two-thirds of those who primarily turn to network TV (68%) and print publications (66%) express this view.”
Local TV follows, with cable TV fourth in the rankings.
Social media is last, with just 41% calling virus coverage there good to excellent.
This story was updated to portray Pew’s analysis of the views of media users more accurately.
