UK Public Opinion Polarised on News Coverage of Government Coronavirus Response and Concern Over Misinformation

Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism Factsheet, May 2020

6 Pages Posted: 28 May 2020 Last revised: 12 Oct 2020

See all articles by Rasmus Kleis Nielsen

Rasmus Kleis Nielsen

University of Oxford - Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism

Antonis Kalogeropoulos

University of Oxford - Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism; University of Liverpool - Department of Communication and Media

Richard Fletcher

University of Oxford - Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism

Date Written: May 5, 2020

Abstract

In this Reuters Institute's factsheet we examine people’s attitudes towards how news organisations, government and other institutions are responding to the coronavirus pandemic in the UK based on a survey fielded from 24 April to 28 April.

UK public opinion is split three ways between those who think the news media have not been critical enough of the government response (30%), those who think it has been covered fairly (28%), and those who think the coverage has been too critical (29%).

Judgement of news coverage is polarised along political lines, with 63% on the left feeling the news media have not been critical enough, and 66% of those on the right saying news media has been too critical of the government.

About a third of our respondents say they are very or extremely concerned about false or misleading information about coronavirus from the UK government (32%), from individual politicians (36%), from news organisations (31%), and from ordinary people whom they do not know personally (33%).

Although there are small differences in concern over potential misinformation from news organisations, opinion is broadly similar across the political spectrum. However, concerns over the UK government as a potential source of misinformation are polarised along partisan lines, with 51% of respondents on the political left saying they are very or extremely concerned about false or misleading information from the UK government, versus 22% among those on the right.

Asked to compare the UK government’s response to most other developed countries, almost half (46%) say it has been worse, around a third (36%) about the same, and 12% say better. Again, responses are highly polarised along partisan lines.

Overall, most respondents (55%) still think that the current approach has found the right balance between protecting the economy and protecting people from coronavirus. One-in-five (19%) say it is too focused on protecting the economy, 14% too focused on protecting people from the virus. Responses to this question are less polarised. 41% on the political left say the current balance is right.

Keywords: news, polarisation, Government, UK, coronavirus, COVID-19

Suggested Citation

Nielsen, Rasmus Kleis and Kalogeropoulos, Antonis and Kalogeropoulos, Antonis and Fletcher, Richard, UK Public Opinion Polarised on News Coverage of Government Coronavirus Response and Concern Over Misinformation (May 5, 2020). Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism Factsheet, May 2020, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3609186

Rasmus Kleis Nielsen

University of Oxford - Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism ( email )

13 Norham Gardens
Oxford, OX2 6PS
United Kingdom

Antonis Kalogeropoulos (Contact Author)

University of Liverpool - Department of Communication and Media ( email )

19-23 Abercromby Square
Liverpool, L69 7ZG

University of Oxford - Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism ( email )

13 Norham Gardens
Oxford, OX2 6PS
United Kingdom

Richard Fletcher

University of Oxford - Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism ( email )

13 Norham Gardens
Oxford, OX2 6PS
United Kingdom

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