The spread of misinformation poses a considerable threat to public health and the successful management of a global pandemic. For example, studies find that exposure to misinformation can undermine vaccination uptake and compliance with public-health guidelines. As research on the science of misinformation is rapidly emerging, this conceptual Review summarizes […] Read more »
Poll of Local Election Officials Finds Safety Fears for Colleagues — and Themselves
As American democracy finds itself under assault from lies about the 2020 presidential race being “stolen, ” election officials are a prime target in the attempt to undermine future elections. In 2020, in the face of a pandemic, record-high turnout, and a flood of disinformation about the election process and […] Read more »
Americans’ attitudes on internet regulations go beyond party lines
The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and Gallup released a new report today that finds Americans attitudes go beyond partisanship when it comes to internet regulation and free expression online, issues at the core of today’s debates on the future of democracy, elections and the pandemic. The research […] Read more »
Belief in Vaccination Misinformation Predicts Attitudes Toward Vaccinating Children
While the vast majority of U.S. adults who are fully vaccinated and boosted against Covid-19 would be likely to recommend vaccinating a 5- to 11-year-old, over a third of fully vaccinated adults who have not had a booster shot have reservations about Covid-19 vaccination for a child that age, according […] Read more »
Russia’s objective in the U.S. has already largely been achieved
Russia’s desired outcome in the months before Donald Trump’s election in 2016 was not simply to see him elected. It aimed, instead, to more broadly “undermine the US-led liberal democratic order” (in the words of a January 2017 intelligence assessment), an effort that Russia believed would be aided far more […] Read more »
America’s role in the Russia and Ukraine situation
Most Americans are paying at least some attention to the increased tensions between Russia and Ukraine. While most of the public thinks the United States should have a role in the situation, they are more likely to say it should be a minor role rather than a major one. About […] Read more »