Study: Journalists need help covering misinformation: Madison’s K-12 taxpayer spending rhetoric vs reality
A study published in Science Advances in January found that older people are more likely to share fake news stories. A Gallup and Knight Foundation survey from last year suggested that most Americans want technology companies to do more to fight misinformation. Other researchers have found that fake news is making college students trust all news less.
But how has online fakery affected journalists?
In a new study conducted by the Institute for the Future, a California-based nonprofit think tank, researchers found more than 80% of journalists admitted to falling for false information online. The data was based on a survey of 1,018 journalists at regional and national publications in the United States.
Perhaps more concerning: Only 14.9% of journalists surveyed said they had been trained on how to best report on misinformation.
A good place to start: financial misinformation. Reporters should always tell the whole story $518m in Madison school district 2018-2019 spending), not just taxpayer funded public rhetoric.
Materiality is also important (missing the big story, in this example).
