Majority Follows COVID-19 News; Public Health Organizations, Officials Among Major Sources
As readers of this blog know, we occasionally share highlights from recent surveys on the public’s media habits, attitudes and preferences.
One source is the Pew Research Center, which just announced findings from a new survey pertaining to COVID-19 news. Respondents are part of the center’s American Trends Panel.
Among the key findings:
- 87% of U.S. adults are following COVID-19 news closely
- 56% say national news outlets are a major source, followed by public health organizations and officials at 51%
- 46% say local news outlets are a major source for them
- 61% say they pay equal attention to COVID-19 news on the national and local levels
One notable finding is that 87% say they need to take breaks from COVID-19 news.
This type of information provides good insight as we continue to work together to share our stories of the people, the work and the value that the U of M delivers to the state and beyond.
Do you have any thoughts on the results of this survey or how best to use them? Have you come across similar surveys tracking media use? If so, consider sharing them via the Communications Blog. Let us know at unews@umn.edu; we’d love to work with you on a future post.