Unleashing the Power

How the “Fifth Estate” Drives Decision-Makers in Business and Politics - Seite 2

2. Americans want their fellow citizens to take more responsibility when accessing online sources:

• 62 percent say people should only share content after verifying its authenticity.
• 57 percent want people to insist on sources that fact-check information.
• 52 percent want people to seek various opinions to inform their views.

3. Support for enhanced intervention by governments, regulators, and platform owners is less strong among Americans compared with the global sample:

• 55 percent of Americans support efforts to improve transparency (e.g., providing information on sourcing and the authors), compared with 62 percent of the global sample who said the same.
• 55 percent of Americans favor initiatives to combat the generation and spread of misinformation (vs. 61 percent).
• 51 percent of Americans want law enforcement to have a stronger ability to investigate and hold to account those who misuse online platforms (vs. 63 percent).

“What we must now grapple with as a society is how to ensure this new realm of influence is channeled for the greater good,” said Dr. Gilchrist. “On the one hand, the Fifth Estate is a force that can drive broad societal action on critical issues facing our world. On the other hand, it too often favors emotion and ideology over facts, perpetuating polarization, sectarianism, and misinformation. Businesses, policymakers, and civil society must find ways to help ensure this emerging force moves society in a positive direction.”

Read PMI’s latest white paper here.

About the Povaddo Survey

Povaddo conducted the online survey on behalf of PMI between December 6 and 13, 2023. The survey was fielded among 6,048 general population adults aged 21 and older in six countries: Brazil, Italy, South Africa, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Approximately 1,000 interviews were administered in each country. Data were collected in a balanced way to reflect national population statistics and were not weighted. Results are accurate to a margin of error of ±1 percent overall.

Philip Morris International, U.S.: Delivering a Smoke-Free Future

Philip Morris International (PMI), U.S. is working to deliver a smoke-free future. Since 2008, PMI has invested $12.5 billion globally to develop, scientifically substantiate, and commercialize innovative smoke-free products for adults who would otherwise continue to smoke, with the goal of completely ending the sale of cigarettes. In 2022, PMI acquired Swedish Match—a leader in oral nicotine delivery—creating a global smoke-free champion led by the companies’ IQOS and ZYN brands. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has authorized versions of PMI’s IQOS Platform 1 devices and consumables and Swedish Match’s General snus as modified risk tobacco products. For more information, please visit www.pmi.com/us/ and www.pmiscience.com.