FAKE NEWS, INTERNET BUBBLES, POST-TRUTH AND TRUST · People have a biased view of the world, i.e.,...

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FAKE NEWS, INTERNET BUBBLES, POST-TRUTH AND TRUST

September 2018

Public Perspectives © Ipsos 2018 |

GENERAL THEMES FROM THE DATA ARE…

• Seven-in-ten Canadians believe that the average person in the country

lives in their own “bubble” on the internet, but only three-in-ten believe

this about themselves.

• Canadians lack confidence that the average person can tell real news

from fake news, but they are significantly more confident in their own

abilities to do so. Men are particularly confident in their ability to spot

fake news.

• Half of Canadians say they have seen fake news stories, significantly

lower compared to the US and most other countries.

• Canadians blame personal bias, politicians, and the media/social media

for misperceptions.

• A majority of Canadians believe that the average person trusts politicians

less today than in the past, driven by a belief that lying in politics and the

media is more prevalent today; Americans significantly more skeptical

than Canadians.

2


FAKE NEWS, INTERNET BUBBLES, AND POST-TRUTH POLITICS

3

Public Perspectives © Ipsos 2018 | 4

Seven-in-ten Canadians believe that the average person in the country lives in their own “bubble” on the internet, but only three-in-ten believe this about themselves

65%

69%

77%

Worldwide

Canada

US

34%

31%

32%

The average person in my country lives in their

own ‘bubble’ on the internet, mostly connecting

with people like themselves and looking for

opinions they already agree with.

I live in my own bubble on the internet,

mostly connecting with people like myself

and looking for opinions I already agree with.

[% Strongly/somew hat agree]


58%

54%

59%

63%

64%

65%

41%

39%

29%

Worldwide

Canada

US

5

Canadians lack confidence that the average person can tell real news from fake news, but they are significantly more confident in their own ability to do so

I am confident that the

average person in my

country can tell real news

from ‘fake news’.

I am confident that I can

tell real news from ‘fake

news’ (entirely made up

stories or facts).


I think I’m better at spotting

‘fake news’ than the average

person in my country.


60%

60%

68%

Worldwide

Canada

US

59%

51%

55%

6

Most Canadians question whether the average person actually cares about the facts; a slight majority think they know more than others

The average person in my country doesn’t

care about facts about politics and society

anymore, they just believe what they want.

I am confident I have a better understanding

of social realities like immigration levels and

crime rates than the average person in my

country.



Millennials and lower income more likely to say they live in a bubble, but still only a minority.

Men, higher income somewhat more confident in their abilities to spot fake news

32% 29%38%

31%24%

41%

30% 28% 32% 32% 28% 30% 33%

22%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Men Women Millennial Gen X Boomer Lower $ Mid $ Higher $ BC Alta Prairies Ontario Quebec Atlantic

I live in my own bubble on the internet, mostly connecting with people like myself and looking for opinions I already agree with.

I am confident that I can tell real news from ‘fake news’ (entirely made up stories or facts).

67%60% 63% 66% 63% 64% 63%

68% 66% 65% 65% 63% 63% 66%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Men Women Millennial Gen X Boomer Lower $ Mid $ Higher $ BC Alta Prairies Ontario Quebec Atlantic

7


FAKE NEWS EXPOSURE AND MEANING

8


Half of Canadians say they have seen fake news stories, significantly lower than in the US and most other countries

How often, if at all,

do you think you see

stories where news

organisations have

deliberately said

something that isn’t

true?

[% Very/fairly often]

60%

82%

79%

79%

77%

73%

72%

72%

71%

69%

68%

66%

65%

61%

59%

59%

57%

54%

54%

51%

51%

49%

48%

44%

43%

39%

36%

30%

Worldwide

Argentina

Serbia

Turkey

Mexico

Brazil

India

Peru

Hungary

Malaysia

South Africa

Chile

Poland

US

Italy

Russia

Australia

France

Great Britain

Saudi Arabia

Spain

Belgium

Canada

Sweden

China

South Korea

Japan

Germany


46%

48%

48%

US

Canada

Worldwide

10

About half of Canadians say they have actually believed a fake news story

I have falsely believed a news story was real until I found out

it was fake



36%

46%

51%

44%

46%

56%

56%

58%

62%

Worldwide

Canada

US

11

Canadians associate fake news with stories where the facts are wrong, but many also associate it with selective facts and as a discrediting term

Stories where the facts are

wrong

Stories where the news outlets or

politicians only pick facts that

support their side of the argument

A term politicians and the

media use to discredit news

they don’t agree with

When you hear the term “fake news”, what are you personally thinking of?[% Yes]


TRUST, BIAS, AND BLAME

12


Canadians spread the blame for misperceptions on personal bias, politicians, and the media/social media

People have a biased view of the world,

i.e., they tend to focus on negative things or

think things are getting worse, or generalise

from their own experience

Politicians mislead people The media misleads people

People often get lots of things wrong about their countries and how they’re changing, for example, what proportion of the pop ulation are immigrants, or whether crime is going up or down. Which of these, if any, do you think are the biggest reasons for this? [% Yes]

52%

52%

64%

52%

52%

64%

43%

55%

57%

Worldwide

Canada

US

Social media misleads people

People are bad with numbers so they

struggle with trying to estimate things

like this

It’s often the figures that are

wrong, not people’s views

52%

52%

64%

Worldwide

Canada

US

18%

12%

12%

18%

16%

16%


A majority in Canada believe that the average person trusts politicians less today than in the past, driven by a belief that

lying in politics and the media is more prevalent today; US is significantly more skeptical than Canada

Do you think the average person

in my country trusts politicians to

tell the truth more, less or about

the same amount as they did 30

years ago?

Do you think there is more, less or

about the same amount of lying and

misuse of facts in politics and media in

my country than there was 30 years

ago?

Do you think the average person in

my country knows more, less or

about the same amount about

politics and society as they did 30

years ago?

10%

12%

9%

64%

57%

69%

Worldwide

Canada

US

57%

53%

69%

11%

7%

4%

39%

29%

32%

30%

33%

37%

More Less


METHODOLOGY

• These are the findings of a Global Advisor survey into the political mood around the world. In total 19,243 interviews were conducted online between June 22 – July 6 2018 among adults aged 18-64 in the US and Canada, and adults aged 16-64 in all

other countries.

• The survey was conducted in 27 countries around the world via the Ipsos Online Panel system. The countries reporting herein a re

Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Chile, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, India, Italy, Japan,

Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, South Africa, South Korea, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey and the UnitedStates of America.

• Between 500 and 1000+ individuals participated on a country by country basis via the Ipsos Online Panel. The sample was 1000+

in Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, Spain and the United Stated of America. In all ot her

countries the sample was 500+. The precision of Ipsos online polls is calculated using a credibility interval with a poll of 1,000

accurate to +/- 3.5 percentage points and of 500 accurate to +/- 5.0 percentage points. For more information on Ipsos’ use of credibility intervals, please visit the Ipsos website.

• In countries where internet penetration is approximately 60% or higher the data output generally reflects the overall populat ion. Of

the 27 countries surveyed online, 16 yield results that are balanced to reflect the general population: Argentina, Australia,

Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Poland, Serbia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Great Britain and the

United States. The 11 remaining countries surveyed – Brazil, China, Chile, India, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Russia, Saudi Arabia,South Africa and Turkey - have lower levels of internet connectivity and reflect online populations that tend to be more urban and

have higher education/income than the general population.

• Where results do not sum to 100, this may be due to computer rounding, multiple responses or the exclusion of don't knows or not

stated responses.

• Data are weighted to match the profile of the population.

15


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© 2018 Ipsos. All rights reserved. No

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granted or implied.

The contents of this document are

confidential, proprietary and are strictly for the review and consideration of the addressee

and its officers, directors and employees solely for the purpose of information. No other use is permitted, and the contents of this

document (in whole or part) may not be disclosed to any third party, in any manner

whatsoever, without the prior written consent of Ipsos.

[email protected] [email protected]

Mike ColledgePresident, Canadian Public Affairs

Sean SimpsonVice President, Public Affairs

mailto:[email protected]?subject=Please add me to the Public Perspectives distribution list

https://www.ipsos.com/en-ca/knowledge/society

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