We examine a couple of polls from the US that provide insight into the affect media has had on public perception and how it has led them to support authoritarian ideas they likely would not support if they had all the facts.

I chose hospitalization rate of COVID being a good fact to go off because many recognize that the key motivation of policy is to not overload healthcare systems.

Sources:

Rasmussen Poll

Gallup Poll

Reuters Article

CDC: Co-morbidity factors predict sever covid outcome