Pen survey shows false information swamping journalists

A survey of over 1,000 journalists by Pen America showed that a deluge of false information is “changing the practice of journalism, disrupting newsroom processes, draining the attention of editors and reporters, demanding new procedures and skills, jeopardizing community trust in journalism, and diminishing journalists’ professional, emotional, and physical security.” Sixty-six of those surveyed said they were spending more time dealing with falsehoods. One in four felt overwhelmed by the amount of fact-checking to complete a story and 17 percent said they avoided stories for fear of backlash that would try to discredit their accurate reporting. Many said they needed more help from their news outlets by way of training and procedures to deal with the onslaught. (Pen America, April 2022)

For related FAC coverage, click here, here and here.