A recent Rutgers-Eagleton Poll reveals that New Jersey voters are deeply concerned about the prevalence of misinformation, with 60% identifying the spread of false or misleading content as a “very big problem” facing the state. Commissioned by the New Jersey Civic Information Consortium, the survey highlights a rare moment of bipartisan consensus, as majorities across all political affiliations agree that misinformation poses a significant threat. Ashley Koning, director of the Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling, noted that this shared concern is particularly noteworthy in today’s polarized political climate, where agreement on most public issues is increasingly scarce.
Regarding the state of local journalism, the electorate remains divided on the availability of news coverage. While 32% of respondents believe local news access has improved over the last five years, a slightly larger 34% say it has declined, while the remainder believe coverage has remained stagnant. Interestingly, these perceptions vary along political and geographic lines: Democrats are more likely than Republicans to report a decline in local news, while residents near the Jersey Shore and in urban areas are more optimistic about the current volume of local reporting compared to those in other parts of the state.
The landscape of how New Jerseyans consume information is both broad and fragmented, as residents rely on a diverse array of platforms to stay informed. Search engines like Google lead the way as the most common source, utilized by 77% of voters, followed closely by personal networks of friends and family (75%) and national news organizations (71%). Traditional media formats, such as local newspapers and television stations, remain vital, with 65% and 59% of voters respectively citing them as channels for local news. Meanwhile, digital-native outlets, podcasts, and community newsletters continue to secure a significant footprint in the daily routines of the state’s voters.
Despite the wide variety of available sources, public trust is unevenly distributed across media platforms. The poll found that voters place the highest levels of trust in mission-driven institutions; 90% of those who get information from religious organizations trust them, while high trust ratings were also awarded to public radio (85%) and public television (82%). Generally, traditional community-based sources—including local radio, online-only news sites, and local print newspapers—consistently rank higher in credibility than social media platforms.
Social media and community-based apps face a steeper challenge in winning the confidence of their users. While platforms like YouTube and TikTok are used by a smaller segment of the population, those who do use them for news are often skeptical, with only 59% trusting them for accuracy. Facebook sits at the bottom of the credibility rankings, with just 42% of its users expressing a “fair amount” or “great deal” of trust in the information provided. These findings suggest that while social media is a ubiquitous tool for connectivity, it serves as a less reliable pillar for news in the eyes of the public.
Looking ahead, Lisa Sahulka, executive director of the New Jersey Civic Information Consortium, emphasized that the vitality of local news remains essential for community transparency and civic engagement. She argued that as national media outlets contract, there is an urgent need to reinforce local reporting as a primary source for tracking the decisions that affect New Jerseyans’ daily lives. Sahulka indicated that there is a significant opportunity to bolster local journalism by leveraging both traditional platforms and emerging digital spaces, ensuring that high-quality, trustworthy information remains a cornerstone of the state’s democratic well-being.
