This vibrant report from the Pew-Knight Initiative explores what “news” means to Americans and why it matters in our digital age. People face more information from more sources than ever before. That makes defining news tricky.
This project dives into how folks separate hard news from entertainment and opinion. It asks what sticks as “just the facts” and what slips into commentary. It shows why a clear news identity is crucial for trust.
Researchers used a multimethod approach to capture the big picture. They ran an online discussion board with 57 adults about daily habits and views. They surveyed 9,482 U.S. adults through the American Trends Panel.
They also held in-depth interviews with 13 journalists and editors. Each method added fresh insights into how Americans pick and trust their news. This blend of data makes the findings both robust and relatable.
The study found that most people say news must be factual. They want “just the facts,” not opinions. Personal relevance was less often named a major factor. Yet discussions showed individuals often value what matters to them personally.
Participants recognized that news can mean something different from person to person. That mix of fact and relevance shapes how each American navigates the news landscape.
Journalists in the interviews raised media literacy concerns. They worry audiences struggle to tell real news from false info or unverified sources. David Folkenflik from NPR News summed it up well.
He said the line between need-to-know and want-to-know is blurring. “News is a combination of what you need to know and what you want to know and what you find intriguing,” he noted.
Folks made clear what doesn’t count as news. They see opinion pieces and commentary as separate. Kimi Yoshino of The Baltimore Banner explained it simply.
“[News is] based in fact and it’s reported. It’s not somebody’s opinion or interpretation of an event or an incident,” she said. That focus on facts over commentary drove participants to label opinion-heavy content as hearsay rather than true news.
Topics also shaped what counts as news. Hard news like politics, economics, and global conflicts topped the list. Soft news, such as celebrity gossip or viral memes rarely made the cut.
Most agreed that local crime, severe weather and traffic impacts deserved the news label. Sports held a mixed vote depending on personal interest. This core split shows why journalism still relies on timely, important topics to define itself.
Survey numbers bring it into focus. Sixty-six percent of Americans said election updates are definitely news. Sixty-two percent said the same about international conflicts like the war in Gaza.
Major car accidents got a 37 percent “definitely news” rating. Local community achievements hovered at 30 percent. Corporate earnings sat at 22 percent and sports info hit just 18 percent. Celebrities barely registered, with only 3 percent calling their updates definite news.
The study dug deeper to find nuance. If coverage of a “hard news” topic felt biased or sensationalized, people were less likely to see it as news. Tone and perceived accuracy sometimes overrode topic importance.
Participants also said personal ties can matter. A soccer match may be news to fans but not to others. That complexity highlights how context and trust shape news judgments in surprising ways.
This work matters because it maps how Americans build their news world. Understanding these definitions helps news outlets tweak coverage for clarity and trust. Platforms can spotlight factual reporting. And readers can sharpen media literacy by spotting fact, opinion and viral content.
In a crowded info era, knowing what counts as news is the first step to staying informed and powering a healthy public sphere.
Ready for the full deep dive? Check out the complete report to learn every detail.
