The continuous flow of news and information regarding the COVID-19 pandemic continues to capture Americans’ rapt attention, but many of us are beginning to show signs of COVID-19 news fatigue, according to data analysis recently released by the Pew Research Center.
According to Pew’s survey, 71 percent said they now have to “take breaks” from COVID-19- related news, and nearly half (43 percent) reported that coronavirus news leaves them feeling worse emotionally.
Amid this constant news churn, half of Americans (50 percent) said they also often find it difficult determining what’s true and what’s false regarding the outbreak, and nearly two-thirds (64 percent) said they’ve seen at least some COVID-19 news and information that appeared to be fake.
 Americans’ preferred sources for COVID-19-related news. |
Nearly nine-in-ten Americans (87 percent) claim they’re following coronavirus-related news “very” or at least “fairly” closely, figures that remain, roughly, on par with findings from a previous Pew survey conducted in March (89 percent). More than half (56 percent) said national news outlets are a major source in getting that news, compared to 46 percent who primarily cited local outlets. About two-thirds (61 percent) of respondents said they give equal amounts of attention to both national and local sources when it comes to coronavirus news.
More than half (51 percent) also said they turn to public health organizations and officials for coronavirus-related news. Only about a third (36 percent) said state and local elected officials are a major source for them, and even fewer (31 percent) cited President Trump and the White House coronavirus task force as a major source for outbreak news.
Pew’s analysis was based on a survey of more than 10,100 U.S. adults drawn from its American Trends Panel, a nationally representative list of randomly selected respondents. Surveys were conducted between April 20-26.
Pew’s findings were compiled as part of the nonpartisan think tank’s Election News Pathways project, an ongoing initiative that examines how Americans are getting their news in the months leading up to the 2020 election.
Trump Media and Technology Group Corp. has replaced CEO and former California Congressman Devin Nunes with Kevin McGurn, a seasoned media sales executive.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is being bought by the Venetoulis Institute for Local Journalism, a nonprofit that is the parent organization of the Baltimore Banner... The British Broadcasting Corporation is axing approximately 2,000 jobs, about 10 percent of its work force... Snap, the company behind Snapchat, is also succumbing to layoff fever, announcing plans to lay off 16 percent of its employees, about 1,000 people.
CBS News Radio will go off the air on May 22, part of the axe-swinging managerial plan put into play by CBS editor-in-chief Bari Weiss... The Economist, which was first published in 1843, is changing hands. Canadian billionaire Stephen Smith has agreed to acquire a 26.9 percent stake in the publication from Lady Lynn Forester de Rothschild, her family and family foundation... Nexstar Media Group says it has closed its acquisition of TEGNA, the broadcast, digital media and marketing services company that was formed in 2015, when the Gannett Company split into two publicly traded companies.
USA TODAY brings on Jamie Stockwell as VP of news, effective March 30. Stockwell was most recently deputy managing editor of news for the Washington Post... YouTube expands its likeness detection capabilities to a pilot group of government officials, journalists and political candidates... The AP Fund for Journalism adds 50 news organizations to its local news program, bringing the total number of participating newsrooms to 100. 
Versant Media Group, the NBCUniversal cable TV spin-off, today reported its first financial results as 2025 revenues dipped 5.3 percent to $6.7B and standalone EBITDA dropped 9.1 percent to $2.2B.
