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From: NOT-SURE@idiocracy.gov

On 8/7/21 4:30 AM, Lyin' Lester Holt wrote:
> Washington, DC, December 30, 2020 –  According to a recent
> NPR/Ipsos poll, a strong majority of Americans are concerned
> about the spread of false information and specifically that
> information they receive on social media is not accurate.
> However, there are also signs that recent misinformation,
> including false claims related to COVID-19 and QAnon, are
> gaining a foothold among some Americans.
>
> Detailed Findings
>
> The American public is deeply concerned about the spread of
> false information and are particularly concerned about COVID-19-
> related misinformation.
>
> More than eight in ten (83%) say they are concerned about the
> spread of false information, and a majority (54%) report being
> very concerned.
> Eighty percent are specifically concerned about the spread of
> false information about the coronavirus and vaccines.
> More than two-thirds are concerned both that the information
> they receive on social media is not accurate (69%), and also
> about foreign interference in social media (67%).
> Despite these concerns, there are signs that misinformation,
> most prominently around COVID-19, QAnon, and recent Black Lives
> Matter protests, is becoming more mainstream.
>
> In a “knowledge test,” where respondents were given 10 true or
> false statements about historical events, most Americans
> correctly answered questions about past events (e.g., the moon
> landing, Barack Obama’s birthplace, and 9/11), yet show more
> ambiguity on recent events.
> Specifically, a plurality of Americans (40%) believe it is true
> that COVID-19 was created in a lab in China – more answered true
> than false. There is no indication this is true.
> Moreover, fewer than half (47%) are able to correctly identify
> that this statement is false: “A group of Satan-worshipping
> elites who run a child sex ring are trying to control our
> politics and media.” Thirty-seven percent are unsure whether
> this theory backed by QAnon is true or false, and 17% believe it
> to be true.
> Nearly half (47%) believe the majority of protests this summer
> were violent, while just 38% correctly indicated that this is a
> false statement.
> Both partisanship and education play a role in belief of these
> events. Both Democrats and college-educated Americans answered
> more statements correctly than Republicans, Independents, or
> those without a college degree.
> knowledge test
>
> More than one in three Americans believe in the existence of a
> so-called “deep state;” however, most accept the results of the
> election and want to see a peaceful transition.
>
> Thirty-nine percent of Americans agree there is a deep state
> working to undermine President Trump – another tenet of QAnon.
> This belief is driven primarily by Republicans and FOX News
> viewers (a majority of both groups agree with this), though
> nearly half of white men and rural residents (49% each) agree as
> well.
> However, many more accept the results of the 2020 presidential
> election (69%) and want to see a peaceful transition to the
> Biden administration in January (70%).
> A similar number to those who would like to see a peaceful
> transition are also worried about political violence over the
> next four years (73%).
> Despite the ambiguity around the origins of COVID-19, there are
> indications that most Americans are taking the virus seriously.
> For example, a majority agree there should be a law in their
> state requiring masks in public at all times.
>
> Three-quarters (74%) of Americans agree that masks are an
> effective tool to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Though
> majorities of both Democrats and Republicans agree with this
> statement, Democrats are significantly more likely to do so (90%
> agree vs. 61% of Republicans).
> Nearly two-thirds (64%) feel there should be a law in their
> state requiring mask use in public, at all times. The partisan
> gap is even wider on a mask mandate, though: 85% of Democrats
> are in favor, compared to 45% of Republicans.
> A majority (59%) disagree that COVID-19 is no more of a serious
> threat than the flu. Almost all demographic groups (gender, age,
> educational attainment, religion, etc.) disagree with this
> statement. Only Republicans and FOX News viewers are evenly
> split on whether or not COVID-19 is more serious than the flu.
> Most Americans are unwilling to point fingers at a specific
> group of people for being more susceptible to believing
> conspiracy theories. Majorities say “all equally” when asked
> about different ages, racial/ethnic groups, partisans, or people
> of different education levels.
>
> However, there are a few exceptions. Compared with the general
> public, younger people (18-34) say in larger numbers that older
> people are more likely to believe conspiracy theories, while
> more older people (age 55+) say the same about younger people.
> A plurality of Democrats (44%) say Republicans are more likely
> to believe conspiracy theories; in comparison, most Republicans
> (55%) say “all equally.”
> People with college degrees are more likely to say that those
> who did not go to college are more susceptible to believing
> conspiracy theories (41% say this, compared to 19% of those
> without degrees and 26% overall).
> Read the story from NPR here.
>
> About the Study
> These are some of the findings of an Ipsos poll conducted
> between December 21-22, 2020, on behalf of NPR. For this survey,
> a sample of 1,115 adults age 18+ from the continental U.S.,
> Alaska, and Hawaii was interviewed online in English with
> oversamples of Black and Hispanic Americans. One question in
> this poll is trended against NPR/Ipsos polls conducted between
> August 20-21, 2020, July 30-31, 2020, and June 19-20, 2018, with
> a sample of 1,186, 1,115 and 1,071 U.S. adults, respectively.
>
> The sample for this study was randomly drawn from Ipsos’ online
> panel (see link below for more info on “Access Panels and
> Recruitment”), partner online panel sources, and “river”
> sampling (see link below for more info on the Ipsos “Ampario
> Overview” sample method) and does not rely on a population frame

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