Research summary

1,638 survey responses, 218 interviews and a dozen in-person outreach trips

More than 85% of surveyed Arizona residents said they double-check online information before sharing it with others. Most could accurately define the term misinformation in subsequent surveys and interviews, but couldn’t articulate a process for identifying what was true and false beyond a “gut feeling.”

One resident describing their method for detecting COVID-19 misinformation said: “I just went with what I felt was right and ignored the other stuff.”

And respondents said they found misinformation coming from news publications nearly as often as social media: 70.5% found it often on news websites, online radio, and news streaming sites; 72.2% on TV, radio, newspapers, and magazines, and 78.3% on social media.

Asked in a follow-up survey to recall a time they identified misinformation, some pointed to proven methods like finding additional, credible sources that contradicted the information. Others conflated bias with misinformation or cited their personal experience as a reason that something couldn’t be true.

There was general consensus among our research participants that being informed about one’s community was important. Eighty percent of respondents sought out news specifically about their community at least some of the time. And 71.8% said they used social media to interact with one another.

Our findings indicate that while most people are consuming news about their communities, local journalism has work to do when it comes to both diversifying content and gaining community trust.

And to alleviate concerns about misinformation and bias, we see promise in tools that help news outlets better communicate their information, including sourcing and reporting processes.