Americans think fake news is big problem, blame politicians

NEW YORK – A new survey says half of U.S. adults consider fake news a major problem, and they mostly blame politicians and activists for it.

A survey from the Pew Research Center released Wednesday says a majority of Americans believe journalists have the responsibility for fixing the misinformation problem.

The survey finds that differences in political affiliation are a major factor in how people think about fake news. Republicans are more likely than Democrats to see made-up information, to think it’s a big problem and also to blame journalists for it.

The question of how to deal with made-up or misleading stories has embroiled politicians, civil-rights organizations and tech companies in the aftermath of misinformation campaigns by Russians and others aimed at undermining democratic institutions in the U.S. and Europe.