Title: 27 Alarming Fake News Statistics [The 2021 Edition]
Headings: 27 Alarming Fake News Statistics on the Effects of False Reporting [The 2021 Edition]
27 Alarming Fake News Statistics on the Effects of False Reporting [The 2021 Edition]
Top Fake News Statistics and Trends (Editor’s Pick)
Trust in Media Statistics in 2021
1. Media trust worldwide has dropped by 8% between 2020 and 2021.
2. In 2020, only 29% of US adults said they mostly trust news media.
3. November 2016 was a major turning point for people’s interest in the term “fake news.”
4. 21% of readers believe that The New York Times is very accurate.
5. 41% of Americans actively avoid the news.
6. 52% of Americans say they regularly encounter fake news online.
7. 10% of US adults have knowingly shared fake news.
Trust in Mainstream Media by Region and Demographic
8. 27% of male and 26% of female news consumers believe that mainstream media reports false information most of the time.
9. 44% of Republicans think mainstream media is spreading fake news.
10. 32% of people over 65 say that mainstream media outlets spread false news.
11. Ethnicity is also a determining factor, with 30% of white Americans accusing popular media of spreading fake news.
Fake News on Social Media Statistics
12. 67% of Americans have come across fake news on social media.
13. 53% of American adults read the news on social media.
14. 35.5% of millennials read political news via Facebook.
15. Social media is the least trusted news source worldwide.
16. When it aligns with their beliefs, 56% of Facebook users can’t recognize fake news, social media statistics show.
17. In Q2 of 2020, Facebook removed 7 million posts that contained fake news.
18. In Q3 of 2020, there were 1.8 billion fake news engagements on Facebook.
The Misinformation Effect on Politics
19. 71% of people believe that fake news negatively affects their own political discussions with their friends and family members.
20. 83% of people believe fake news negatively affects their country’s politics.
21. 80% of people are convinced that fake news has a negative effect on other countries’ politics, too.
22. In recent years, we’ve witnessed a massive rise in media exaggeration.
23. A fake news outlet in France generated 11 million interactions monthly.
24. 47.5% of Americans were very concerned about the fake news’ influence on the 2020 US election, statistics reveal.
Additional Facts About Fake News
25. There are two major types of fake news.
26. The number of authors is a tell-tale sign of a news item’s credibility.
27. 28% of authors post both fake and true stories.
Conclusion
FAQ
What percentage of news is fake?
What percentage of statistics are made up?
How many fake news sites are there?
Who coined the term fake news?
How much fake news is on Facebook?

Content: Fake News on Social Media Statistics
12. 67% of Americans have come across fake news on social media. (Ipsos, Statista)
Americans believe that false information is most prevalent on social media — 67% say they’ve personally encountered it there. Furthermore, 69% of them think that platforms aren’t doing enough to prevent this, while some even directly blame the sites for deliberately spreading misinformation. This also shows the perception of social media’s impact on the news. 13. 53% of American adults read the news on social media. (Pew Research Center)
According to a 2020 survey, just over half of American adults (53%) get their news from social media. Sadly, not many users have the habit of making an active effort to flag down polarizing content. According to some, platforms themselves should encourage such behavior and raise user immunity through education.