How SF residents feel about misinformation ahead of Election Day
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Illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios
People in San Francisco are wary of fake news and misinformation this election season, according to survey data published Wednesday from the free news aggregation app SmartNews.
Why it matters: The concerns underscore the need for reliable, trustworthy information from news outlets, political candidates, campaigns and social media as AI makes it easier to spread election lies and as many Americans, including educated elites, find themselves in a gullibility crisis.
By the numbers: 78% of San Francisco residents surveyed worry about attempts to dupe voters in the heat of this historic election, SmartNews figures show; 42% report being "extremely" concerned.
- Both figures fall below the national averages of 85% and 58%, respectively.
Between the lines: San Franciscans' lower anxiety levels may stem from its status as a local news oasis amid a broader industry decline.
- The city is home to a total of 28 news outlets — 3 newspapers, 10 standalone digital sites, 3 network sites (including Axios), 10 ethnic media outlets and 2 public broadcasters, according to analyses from Northwestern University's Local News Initiative.
- That's about the same about the same number of outlets it had a decade ago.
Yes, but: The ecosystem of community publishers and ethnic media is still largely more vulnerable to misinformation. Many of these publications serve populations in different languages and have fewer resources at their disposal.
- There's also heightened concern that AI will enable interference in the election.
Zoom in: San Franciscans spend an average of 2 hours and 8 minutes daily consuming news, 6 minutes more than the national average, per SmartNews data.
- 78 of those minutes are spent reading traditional media, while 50 minutes are on social media.
- Meanwhile, 61% trust traditional media, compared with 22% who trust social media.
What they did: SmartNews gathered responses online through SurveyMonkey from Sept. 25 to Oct. 2, polling:
- 1,000 adults nationally (±3% margin of error).
- 400 respondents in each of 10 metro areas, including San Francisco (±5% margin of error).