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Survey: Over half of Nevadans concerned about coronavirus misinformation

Posted at 1:49 PM, Jul 29, 2020
and last updated 2020-07-29 18:52:09-04

PRPioneer.com recently conducted a survey of 2,400 adults (18+) across the U.S. to find out about their fake news fears when it comes to COVID-19.

It was found that over half (68%) of Nevadans admit they are concerned about receiving misinformation about coronavirus. Fake news fears are particularly significant when it comes to social media, considering the internet is a platform rife with user-generated content.

Additionally, given that most of the country was under strict lockdown regulations, many people have been consuming online information more consistently since due to being behind a screen more often and for longer periods of time.

Broken down across the U.S., it emerged that South Carolinians are most fearful of coronavirus fake news with 81% of respondents saying they are concerned about this. Comparatively, Utahns were least worried with just 32% saying this was the case.

Other key points found:

- 44% of people admit they have been confused about official advice regarding the pandemic.

- Half say they trust online news sources the most.

- Over 1 in 3 are suffering from COVID-19 news fatigue.

In an effort to counteract the spread of misinformation surrounding Coronavirus, Facebook and Instagram recently launched a new feature that warns users about posts containing incorrect information by flagging them. Instead, users are directed to factual, authoritative health resources provided by the World Health Organization.

The full survey can be viewed here.