In the first 72 days of 2020 (up through March 12, the day of our first such review), roughly 11,000 articles were published about COVID-19 in the entire U.S. media ecosystem. By the end of March (19 days later), that number nearly quadrupled to over 41,000, with a daily output that routinely tops 1,500 articles. Given the media’s incessant effort to capture all aspects of the virus, we decided it was time to revisit the question of who is really providing the most credible coverage on COVID-19.
Continue reading “The Top-Rated Media Outlets on COVID-19”Did the Media Miss the Mark on Masks?
As the number of COVID-19 cases soars over 38,000 in New York City, the rate of infection stands in stark contrast to several other large cities such as Tokyo and Hong Kong which have thus far avoided a dramatic escalation in cases. Tokyo, a city of 9 million people, has recently seen an uptick in new cases but still has fewer than 500. Hong Kong, a city of 7 million, has just over 600 cases.
Continue reading “Did the Media Miss the Mark on Masks?”Media Literacy: Why It’s More Important Than Ever
For centuries, societies were divided by the ability to read. Now, in 2020, with global literacy rates around 86%, the divide is determined less by the ability to read, and more by the ability to make sense of that information.
Continue reading “Media Literacy: Why It’s More Important Than Ever”The Most Credible Journalists on COVID-19
The spread of COVID-19 in the U.S. passed an inflection point in the last 2 weeks. The number of articles published about the global pandemic went from hundreds a day to a weekday average of roughly 1,400 articles. Spending endless hours reading COVID-19 updates quickly loses its marginal utility and can drive our underlying levels of anxiety, so knowing where to go for the best coverage is essential. Early on in the crisis, we looked at which outlets had the most credible stories; this week, we wanted to see which specific journalists you can rely on for credible, timely information—real updates on the global pandemic that actually matter.
Continue reading “The Most Credible Journalists on COVID-19”Beyond the Headlines: The Hunt for a COVID-19 Vaccine
Amid the ongoing crisis, The Factual is producing regular updates on key issues related to coronavirus, including on government actions, economic impact, healthcare preparedness, international response, and cultural consequences. Our goal is to distill the big stories down to what you need to know while also highlighting important, but less-covered perspectives on the ongoing crisis.
Continue reading “Beyond the Headlines: The Hunt for a COVID-19 Vaccine”Beyond the Headlines: How Will COVID-19 Impact the Economy in the Short and Long Term?
There are 600+ articles published every day on COVID-19, so it’s easy to be overwhelmed. Many of us are just scanning headlines to stay atop the news, and this doesn’t always translate into a representative picture of all the most important issues.
Continue reading “Beyond the Headlines: How Will COVID-19 Impact the Economy in the Short and Long Term?”Coronavirus News Tracker
With the COVID-19 pandemic affecting every aspect of our lives, we are all searching for the most up-to-date and credible news for clarity. That’s why, at The Factual, we’ve put together a COVID-19 news timeline that uses an algorithm to curate the most credible article, by the hour, from hundreds of reputable news sources.
Is the News You’re Reading on Coronavirus Credible?
Several of the early fears about coronavirus, or COVID-19, seem to be coming to fruition as the disease continues to spread across the world. This week, Italy imposed nationwide travel restrictions, and the World Health Organization declared the virus a global pandemic. In the United States, Trump placed restrictions on travel from Europe to the United States, Wall Street suffered its largest losses since 1987, and sporting events and other large gatherings are being cancelled.
Worryingly, misinformation about COVID-19 is also spreading quickly, with health officials scrambling to fight back against misconceptions about the virus and its origins. So, how do you know if the news you’re reading and sharing on COVID-19 is credible?
Continue reading “Is the News You’re Reading on Coronavirus Credible?”Who Has the Most Credible News on Coronavirus?
Misinformation about the outbreak of Coronavirus, or COVID-19, has arguably spread as fast as the disease itself. From myths like garlic’s ability to stave off the illness to the virus being a purpose-built bioweapon, information runs the gamut from harmless to endangering. At large, the wrong information can cause panic and even undermine epidemiological efforts to stem the global spread of the virus.
Continue reading “Who Has the Most Credible News on Coronavirus?”How Fair Is Media Coverage of Bernie Sanders?
Before claims of a #WarrenMediaBlackout, Sanders supporters decried a Bernie Blackout, whereby the media was downplaying positive results for Sanders (a claim that also arose in 2016). This election season, any such blackout dissipated by the end of 2019 and further reversed following his strong performances in early primaries. But the question remains: is Sanders getting fair media treatment?
Continue reading “How Fair Is Media Coverage of Bernie Sanders?”