ATLANTA — Public perception is everything, and according to a national survey conducted Thursday amid the COVID-19 outbreak, public trust on how the government and the media is responding to it, is low.
SurveyUSA conducted the online questionnaire for 11Alive, which polled 850 adults nationwide.
When asked about their trust in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), only 38% of survey participants believed the CDC was telling the public the whole truth. Nearly half believed the CDC has given partial truths.
The survey says 32% of those polled have full trust in state health officials, and 51% believe they are being at least partially truthful.
When it comes to President Donald Trump, only 26% say they believe he "tells the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth."
► READ | Full results from survey
The majority, according to the survey, believe President Trump is "more concerned about getting reelected than he is about keeping Americans safe." While 34% believe he is focused on keeping Americans safe.
Of those who believe that, 80% are Democrats, 56% are Independents and 23% are Republican, according to the survey.
National media has one of the lowest levels of trust, according to the survey participants. Only 22% of those polled believe the news outlets are telling the whole truth. While 45% say it's only partial truths.
Those numbers increase slightly for local news, giving a 28% whole truths, and 46% partial truths.
That's all the more reason why here at 11Alive, we're trying to provide you with the information you need, as we lead with facts, not fear.
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