8 facts about Black Americans and the news

(FG Trade/Getty Images) Black Americans have long had a complex relationship with the news media. In 1967, the Kerner Commission – a panel established by President Lyndon Johnson to investigate the causes of more than 150 urban riots in the United States – sharply criticized the media’s treatment of Black Americans. More than 50 years later, there is ongoing discussion of many of the themes raised in the commission’s report. Amid these discussions, here are some key facts about Black Americans’ experiences with and attitudes toward the news, based on recent Pew Research Center surveys: How we did this This analysis is based on several recent Pew Research Center surveys, including our 2023 study on Black Americans’ experiences with news. Details on the methodologies of these surveys, including field dates and sample sizes, can be found by following the links in this analysis. Pew Research Center is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts, its primary funder. This is the latest report in Pew Research Center’s ongoing investigation of the state of news, information and journalism in the digital age, a research program funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts, with generous support from the John S. and James L. Knight...