The Briefing
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In today’s email:
- Featured story: Turkish police raid offices of major TV news channel
- New from Pew Research Center: Online community and connection in America
- In other news: Justice Department investigates TV networks after Trump pool coverage pause
- Looking ahead: How ABC News is responding after acknowledging reporting errors
- Chart of the week: Why some Americans don’t use AI chatbots
🔥 Featured story
Turkish police this week raided the headquarters of Halk TV, halting live broadcasts and appointing a new administrator to oversee one of the few Turkish news channels that airs criticism of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. While the government said it is investigating the network’s chairman for financial crimes, critics see it as another move by Erdoğan’s administration to silence dissent.
Our 2024 cross-national survey found that an overwhelming majority of Turkish adults (91%) say it’s very or somewhat important that the media can report the news without government censorship in their country. But about half said the Turkish media are not very free (24%) or not at all free (25%) to report the news.
Four-in-ten supporters of Erdoğan’s government said the Turkish media are completely free to report the news, compared with only 7% of nonsupporters.
🚨 New from Pew Research Center
A new Pew Research Center survey from the Pew-Knight Initiative finds that nearly four-in-ten U.S. adults say they are part of an online community – a share that rises to about half among young adults. These communities are found on social media, discussion forums, messaging apps and in online video games.
For some, online communities are deeply valuable parts of their lives. They widely offer information, advice or experiences people say they can only get online. At the same time, these benefits sit alongside doubts about making genuine connections over the internet. About half of Americans question whether online relationships can be as meaningful as those formed in person.
📌 In other news
- Justice Department launches antitrust investigation into TV networks after Trump pool coverage pause
- New White House press secretary Katie Zacharia faces questions about legal credentials
- Trump cancels plan to livestream execution of Fort Hood shooter after bipartisan backlash
- Pentagon appoints Department of Defense public affairs official as publisher of Stars and Stripes
- The New York Times, Agence France-Presse and The Economist join over 40 publishers in a coalition to combat AI firms using content without permission
- The 10 largest owners control 75% of local commercial TV newsrooms in the U.S., according to Medill School of Journalism report
- Japanese journalist arrested in Russia, accused of spying
- Journalists raise press freedom concerns in India over police actions at youth-led protests
- Taliban government suspends BBC radio broadcasts across Afghanistan
- Trump allegedly cancels deposition in his lawsuit against BBC
📅 Looking ahead
ABC News removed and later republished an investigation into defense contractors’ connections to President Donald Trump’s family after the network acknowledged errors in the original report. ABC initially said the story had been published prematurely, but its republished version cited errors related to company investments, government contracts and event timelines.
A recent Pew Research Center study from the Pew-Knight Initiative asked Americans what they think should happen if a U.S. news organization publishes false information. Americans overwhelmingly expect news organizations to acknowledge inaccurate reporting: 81% of U.S. adults say the news organization should issue a public correction in all, almost all or most cases.
Smaller shares think that the U.S. government should require the story to be taken down (44%), that it should fine the organization (32%) or that the outlet should fire the journalist who reported the story (30%).
📊 Chart of the week
About half of U.S. adults say they do not ever use AI chatbots like ChatGPT, Gemini or Copilot, according to a Center survey conducted earlier this year. We asked people in this group about their reasons for not using AI chatbots. Most non-users cite a lack of interest, concerns about their personal information and a lack of trust in chatbots to give accurate information as reasons they don’t use these products.
Lack of interest, concerns around privacy and accuracy are common reasons why people don’t use chatbots
Among U.S. adults who say they do not ever use AI chatbots, % who say the following is a reason why
Note: Figures may not add up to NET value due to rounding. Those who did not answer or said “Not a reason” are not shown.
Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted Feb. 17-23, 2026.
“Americans and AI 2026: Chatbots, Smart Devices and Views on Impact”
PEW RESEARCH CENTER
Lack of interest, concerns around privacy and accuracy are common reasons why people don’t use chatbots
Among U.S. adults who say they do not ever use AI chatbots, % who say the following is a reason why
| Major reason | Minor reason | NET | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Not interested in using them | 60% | 23% | 83% |
| Concerned about how their personal information will be used | 54% | 24% | 79% |
| Don’t trust them to give accurate information | 45% | 30% | 76% |
| Don’t know how to use them | 29% | 26% | 55% |
| Think others will judge them for it | 3% | 11% | 14% |
Note: Figures may not add up to NET value due to rounding. Those who did not answer or said “Not a reason” are not shown.
Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted Feb. 17-23, 2026.
“Americans and AI 2026: Chatbots, Smart Devices and Views on Impact”
PEW RESEARCH CENTER
👋 That’s all for this week.
The Briefing is compiled by Pew Research Center staff, including Naomi Forman-Katz, Christopher St. Aubin, Emily Tomasik, Joanne Haner and Sawyer Reed. It is edited by Michael Lipka and copy edited by Anna Jackson.
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