From a Rand.org online release:

Many people (41 percent) indicated that they believed that news has become less reliable than in the past; a similar number (44 percent) said they believed there has been no change; and 15 percent said they thought news is more reliable now.

Different demographic groups get their news in different ways

• People whose primary news sources are social media and in-person contacts are generally younger and female, and they tend to have less education than a college degree and lower household incomes.
• People whose primary news sources are print publications and broadcast television tend to be be significantly older, and they are less likely to be married.
• People whose primary news source is radio are significantly more likely to be male, less likely to be retired, and more likely to have a college degree.
• People whose primary news sources are online platforms are significantly younger, more likely to be male and have a college degree and higher income, and less likely to be black.

Attitudes toward the reliability of news are mixed

• Overall, 44 percent reported that they believed “the news is as reliable now as in the past.”
• Nearly the same amount — 41 percent — reported a belief that the news has become less reliable.
• A minority (15 percent) said that they believed that the news is more reliable now.
• There was an association between news consumption profiles and perceptions of reliability — people who relied more heavily on online, radio, and social media/in-person platforms to obtain news were less likely to say that news is more reliable now than in the past.

To view full Rand Study: https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR4212.html?utm_source=WhatCountsEmail&utm_medium=RAND%20Policy%20Currents+AEM:%20%20Email%20Address%20NOT%20LIKE%20DOTMIL&utm_campaign=AEM:631600804