Report “Even low news users say they are willing to take preventive measures against COVID-19”

Year of production: 2020

Image is illustrative. Photo by Adam Nieścioruk on Unsplash

The report examines associations between people’s news use and trust in government information, and their self-reported willingness to take a number of preventive measures to combat the coronavirus pandemic in the UK based on a survey fielded from 4 to 10 June 2020. Among its highlights:

  • a large share of the UK population, across demographic differences (political, news use, trust in government), say they would be willing to take preventive measures, including self-isolate following test and trace, take an antibody test, a coronavirus test, and a coronavirus vaccine if/when offered
  • news use and trust in government are not the only factors that will influence people’s willingness to take preventative measures, socio-demographic factors will matter too

The report is the fifth in a series of ten Factsheets included in the UK COVID-19 news and information project that analyses how the British public navigates information and misinformation about coronavirus and about how the government and other institutions are responding to the pandemic.

Authors

Reuters Institute

University of Oxford

Photo of Rasmus Kleis Nielsen
Rasmus Kleis Nielsen

Rasmus Kleis Nielsen is the Director of the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism and Professor of Political Communication at the University of Oxford.

Photo of Richard Fletcher
Richard Fletcher

Richard Fletcher is a Senior Research Fellow at the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism and leads the Institute’s research team.

Photo of Antonis Kalogeropoulos
Antonis Kalogeropoulos

Antonis Kalogeropoulos is a Lecturer in Communication and Media at the University of Liverpool and a Research Associate of the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism.