This summary is provided by IPR based on the original study by Pew Research Center
Pew Research Center explored how journalists and the public view whether reporters should give equal coverage to all sides of an issue, referred to as “bothsideism.”
A survey of 11,889 U.S.-based journalists was conducted from Feb. 16 – March 17, 2022, and a survey of 9,388 U.S. adults was conducted Feb. 7-13, 2022.
Key findings include:
- 44% of journalists said they “should always strive to give every side equal coverage” compared to 76% of adults who believe that.
- Journalists who view misinformation as a “very big problem” are more likely to say that “not every side deserves equal news coverage” (59%).
- U.S. adults with less trust in the news are more likely to say journalists should “always strive to cover all sides equally.”
- 84% of adults said they have “little to no trust” in the information they get from news organizations.
- Journalists who say their audience leans to the right were more likely to say they “should always strive to give every side equal coverage” (57%).
Learn more about how journalists and the public view covering all “sides” of a story
