A Rutgers-Eagleton Poll released this week indicates that New Jersey voters consider the spread of false or misleading information an enormous problem in the state.
Duh.
The poll, commissioned by the New Jersey Civic Information Consortium and conducted by the Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling, found 6 out of 10 felt the spread of false or misleading information among New Jerseyans is a “very big problem” (60%).
It gets worse: Twenty-two percent say it’s a “moderately big problem” and 11% say it’s a “small problem.”
Only 4% say misinformation is “not a problem.”
Ashley Koning, the director of the poll, stated the obvious.
“Across all demographic groups and, specifically, across the political aisle, New Jersey voters raise concerns about the spread of misinformation throughout the state,” she said. “Three quarters or more across the board label it a ‘big problem’ on some level. In an era of divisive politics, strong bipartisan agreement that misinformation is an issue is noteworthy.”
Voters are split on how much local news coverage is available in their community today compared with five years ago: Thirty-two percent say coverage has increased (15% “a great deal,” 17% “somewhat”), while 34% say it has decreased (17% “a great deal,” 17% “somewhat”) and 28% say coverage has stayed about the same.
Here’s what the poll didn’t say – and is the key to all of this, according to me, a journalist in this state for decades: Do you think news coverage should be free to access.
The question could be: You have to pay for groceries and gas to support a business that obtains it and distributes it – should the same rules apply to news?
Put another way: Do you spend more money on coffee than you do on media?
Remember, you get what you pay for. And what comes with that $5 coffee is a lot of misinformation on your smartphone.
Now, at BINJE, we do not charge readers for our coverage. We have no paywalls. Even our print edition is free (and, to be clear, we actually print out paper and send it out).
We rely on advertising support to keep us in business. If the advertisers go away, our business goes away.
That’s not a complaint — it’s just how it works. And it’s worth understanding before the next part.
It’s astonishing to me how many people don’t get this. Feel that news should be free.
It’s amazing that when media companies use a user-pays model – you know, to keep them in business – they go around it: Share passwords, cut and paste login credentials.
People who would think someone who goes behind the counter and helps themselves at Starbucks or Dunkin’ is stealing, think nothing of going beyond a paywall and stealing a product they are supposed to pay for. Isn’t that the same thing?
Yes, we know that misinformation is a huge problem. We’re now at a 96% threshold. We no longer need to ask that question.
But we do need to ask whether news is a product worth paying for to help ensure you get quality.
If you’re a business, we ask that you look at the business news BINJE provides and decide if it’s worth supporting. Not necessarily for your own bottom line, but to help correct the misinformation problem this latest poll clearly illustrates is out there.
And, to be clear, if you don’t think we’re worth it, don’t support us. We just ask you find another outlet.
Don’t be mistaken, this isn’t just about BINJE.
Consider supporting the statewide coverage that NJ Advance Media provides.
Or consider supporting regional outlets, such as the New Jersey Hills Media Group, which has more than a dozen local sites covering towns in Morris and Somerset counties.
Or consider supporting some of the incredible hyper local sites. I’ll list just two: Morristown Green or MercerMe.
Yes, misinformation is a problem. Lack of information is just as big.
We don’t need a poll to tell us that.
We need people to decide if they want to help solve the problem – or just point it out.
