While Republicans are more concerned than Democrats about misinformation, Democrats and Republicans have similar views on what they want the media to cover during the 2024 elections
Democrats, Republicans, and independents use similar types of sources for election news, but there are some differences in how frequently they use these sources.
Democrats and Republicans have a higher tendency than independents to always or frequently follow news from local news organizations. And while Democrats are more inclined than Republicans or independents to stay updated on election news through national news organizations, Republicans are more likely than Democrats or independents to always or frequently acquire information about elections from friends or family. There is common ground across partisan lines regarding the reliance on sources such as individual social media accounts, community or faith leaders, or candidate websites for election-related news.
Democrats (70%) are more likely to have a great deal or a lot of confidence in national news organizations compared with independents (36%) or Republicans (41%). And Republicans (55%) exhibit a higher level of confidence in election-related information that comes from friends or family compared with Democrats (42%) or independents (34%).
Republicans are more likely to be very or extremely concerned than either independents or Democrats that news organizations may favor one side of an issue, employ generative AI for story creation, fail to represent community views accurately, or report inaccurate or disinformation.
Moreover, Republicans are also more likely than Democrats to express apprehension about news outlets reporting unverified information or placing excessive focus on divisions or controversies. Democrats and Republicans share similar levels of concern about news coverage focusing too much on who may win and not enough on issues or candidates.
In both national and local election coverage, Democrats and Republicans are more likely than independents to want reporting about the candidates’ positions on key social issues or policies, who is ahead or behind in public opinion polls, the public’s views on key issues or policies, and how votes are tabulated or counted. Democrats are more likely to want coverage about legal troubles or investigations tied to candidates than Republicans or independents.
» Next chapter: Survey methodology
