SOUTH KINGSTOWN – Many of those in need have found assistance through community organizations, the government and their social network amid the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new poll released Thursday by the University of Rhode Island Social Science Institute for Research, Education and Policy.
The study, conducted from May 14 through May 26, was funded by the Rhode Island Foundation. URI surveyed 600 Rhode Islanders and inquired about multiple issues surrounding the pandemic. Among those issues covered were the respondents’ feelings about the government’s response, media coverage and access to assistance.
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According to the survey, 23% of the respondents said they were in need of assistance of some kind during the pandemic. Seventy-two percent of those who required assistance said they received it in some form, such as a food pantry, government assistance or support from their own social network. The survey also found that 44% of respondents said they volunteered for an organization, donated money, helped others in need or performed a community service during the pandemic.
“This poll really shows that in a time of crisis, we’re seeing very strong communities in Rhode Island. It’s not just government stepping in and supporting people,” said Shanna Pearson-Merkowitz, director of URI Social Science Institute for Research, Education and Policy, in a statement. “People are getting the support they need from friends, from neighbors and from community organizations. It shows a lot of hope for our state in a time of political division.”
Regarding lost employment, the survey found that 42% of those who were either furloughed or lost their jobs are receiving unemployment benefits, while 25% said their work hours or pay were not impacted and another 11% said they saw pay or hour reductions as a result of the pandemic.
The survey also found that respondents generally approved of both Gov. Gina M. Raimondo’s handling and the media’s coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sixty-nine percent of the respondents approved the way Raimondo has led the state during the pandemic, the survey said, while 18% said otherwise. Raimondo’s approval rating was highest among Democrats in the state (82%) and “ideological liberals” (82%). The survey also said that 58% of those who have seen job disruptions, 56% of conservatives and 53% of Republicans also approved Raimondo’s handling of the pandemic.
Regarding President Donald Trump’s handling of the pandemic, 32% of all respondents approved, according to the survey, while 56% disapproved. Seventy-two percent of Republicans and 64% of ideological conservatives approved of the president’s performance, the survey found. Congress’ approval was split, according to the survey, with a 39% disapproval rate, while 33% said they approved and 28% said they were not sure.
Eighty-four percent of the respondents said that the media has done either very well or somewhat well providing information they needed during the pandemic. Television, at 70%, was the most-popular medium for news, the survey said, followed by government websites (34%), news websites, apps and podcasts (28%), while 27% received their information from friends, family and coworkers.
However, 45% of respondents called the quality of the information being divulged about the pandemic into question. The survey said the groups that were most likely to report seeing conflicting information were “ideological conservatives” (58%) and Republicans (56%).
The survey said that 43% of respondents have seen information about the pandemic that seemed completely made up and 12% said “a lot” was made up. Of those reporting false information, 58% said they saw it on social media sites; another 34% said they saw it on TV, the survey said.
James Bessette is the PBN special projects editor, and also covers the nonprofit and education sectors. You may reach him at Bessette@PBN.com. You may also follow him on Twitter at @James_Bessette.
