Current events are the latest news and developments that impact people’s lives. These can include weather, public health alerts, travel disruptions, recalls or crime. They also can include the latest political developments and social movements that influence how people think about specific issues. In the context of public opinion polling, current events are important for evaluating how new information influences opinions and sentiments about politicians and policies.
The Big Events of 2019-2020 involved an emerging economic crisis, a growing global climate change, and the COVID-19 pandemic. These events shaped each other in complex ways. Their effects on pathways variables – such as changes in institutional structures, individual experiences and world views, hopes and normative expectations – are potentially bidirectional and long-lasting. They may influence whether and how much people can work, where they can live and what other resources they have access to.
The media plays a key role in shaping how current events are perceived by the general population. Media outlets can highlight certain aspects of an event while downplaying others, which can influence how an audience interprets the news. This dynamic highlights how critical it is to critically evaluate news sources. For example, if a news outlet emphasizes negative consequences of a policy while downplaying its benefits, it may sway the audience’s opinion against that policy.
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