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Headline Roundup May 13th, 2020

CNN Updates Article After Original Portrayal of Data Drew Criticism

Summary from the AllSides News Team

CNN updated an article detailing the results of a recent Gallup poll, following criticism from pundits and readers who said the network's initial coverage of the poll used the data misleadingly. CNN's first headline read "68% of Americans say a vaccine is needed before returning to normal life, new survey finds"; the story has since been updated, and is included below. Gallup described its poll results by concluding that "68% say it is very important to have vaccine before returning to normal." Only right-rated outlets pointed out the apparent misrepresentation, with some reporting that CNN also deleted a tweet that included its initial description of the data. No left- or center-rated outlets reported on the apparent distortion.

Featured Coverage of this Story

No, 68 Percent of Americans Did Not Say They Would Avoid 'Normal Life' Until There's a Coronavirus Vaccine
No, 68 Percent of Americans Did Not Say They Would Avoid 'Normal Life' Until There's a Coronavirus Vaccine

Reason

Analysis

Two-thirds of Americans said they would not return to "normal life" until a vaccine becomes available for COVID-19, according to CNN.

The ramifications of this finding would be well worth discussing, since the timeline for a vaccine is unknowable: It could be available next year, in three years, or never. But it turns out that the headline, "68% of Americans say a vaccine is needed before returning to normal life, new survey finds," is fake news.

The CNN article cites a Gallup poll as its source. But Gallup did not...

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68% of Americans say an available vaccine is very important before returning to normal life, new survey finds
68% of Americans say an available vaccine is very important before returning to normal life, new survey finds

CNN Digital

News

Two new Gallup surveys show how stay-at-home behavior and attitudes towards the pandemic have changed in the last month.

Here were some of the key findings:

Small gatherings: Fewer people avoiding small gatherings than were doing so last month, one survey found.

Around 74% of Americans say they’re avoiding small gatherings — that's down slightly from 80% who said so in mid-April, an indication that some are starting to break their quarantines and return to their lives.
The avoidance of small gatherings has decreased mostly among independents and Republicans —...

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CNN accused of 'egregious misreading' of data from coronavirus survey
CNN accused of 'egregious misreading' of data from coronavirus survey

Fox News Digital

News

CNN has been accused of “an egregious misreading of the data” used in a recent report claiming 68 percent of Americans say they need a coronavirus vaccine before returning to "normal life."

CNN published an article Monday that declared in its headline, “68% of Americans say a vaccine is needed before returning to normal life,” citing a “new survey.” It cited “two new Gallup surveys” but didn’t link to either of them. CNN promoted the story with a tweet using the same statistic.

Nicholas Grossman, an international relations professor at...

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