INSCOP survey: 55% of Romanians believe they have been exposed to fake news in recent months

Most Romanians believe that they have been exposed to fake news and misinformation in the recent months, according to an INSCOP survey sent to AGERPRES on Wednesday. The research reveals that 55% of those surveyed believe that in recent months they have been exposed to fake news and misinformation to a large and very large extent, 42.5% answered that this was the case to a small, very small extent and not at all, and 2.5% do not know or they did not answer. Also, 58.3% of Romanians believe that some states support propaganda and misinformation actions in Romania to a large and very large extent, 32.2% - to a small and very small extent, and 4.8% believe that not at all 4.7% do not know or did not answer. Asked which country or organization they think supports the most propaganda, misinforms and spreads fake news in Romania, 24% of respondents answered Russia, 18.5% - European Union, 14.8% - China, 9.2 % - Hungary, 9.2% - USA, 3.3% - Germany, 1.6% indicated another country, and 19.4% do not know or did not answer. The survey reveals that 60.7% of Romanians are more likely to distrust the information broadcast on TV stations, while 36.3% are more likely to trust and 3% do not know or did not answer. At the same time, 67.7% answered that they are more inclined to distrust the information on the web pages of the media channels, 21.8% - inclined to rather trust it, and 10.7% do not know or did not answer. Regarding the information read or received on social networks (Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, Tik Tok), 74.1% of the respondents answered that they are inclined to have more distrust, 15.8% to have more trust, and 10.1% do not know or did not answer. Regarding the information broadcast by the radio stations, 44.9% answered that they are inclined to have more distrust, 40.6% - rather trust, and 14.5% - do not know or did not answer. According to the research, comparatively Romanians are inclined to have more trust in the information broadcast by radio stations - 40.6%, in the information broadcast by TV stations - 36.3%, in the information broadcast by the websites of mass media channels - 21.8%, in the information read or received on social networks - 18.9%. The survey was conducted by INSCOP Research in partnership with Verifield, led by the think tank STRATEGIC Thinking Group, in a research project supported by The German Marshal Fund of the United States and funded by the Black Sea Trust for Regional Cooperation through True Story Project. The research, carried out between March 1 and 12, is divided into four chapters, the fourth being dedicated to the perception of the population regarding the exposure to fake news, respectively to the Romanians' trust in information sources. The survey was conducted through the CATI method (telephone interviews) on a sample of 1,100 people. The maximum permissible data error is plus / minus 2.95% at a 95% confidence level. AGERPRES (RO - author: Florentina Peia, editor: Mihai Simionescu; EN - author: Bogdan Gabaroi; editor: Adina Panaitescu)