BACKGROUND: The 2024 discovery of a new class of antibiotics is cause for cautious celebration. However, media coverage of this discovery shows overstated optimism, potentially leading to a false sense of safety in the general public. OBJECTIVES: We investigated whether informing participants about the discovery of new antibiotics changes their perceptions of new antibiotics as a solution to antimicrobial resistance and their expectations for receiving antibiotics for a hypothetical illness. METHODS: In two preregistered online experiments, participants read a fictional newspaper article. In the RESULTS: Antibiotic expectations decreased in all conditions after reading the article, which always provided information about antimicrobial resistance. However, unrealistic perceptions to solve antimicrobial resistance were higher in the CONCLUSIONS: News about the development of new antibiotics can influence public perceptions about antimicrobial resistance. Balanced communication is important to prevent a false sense of safety.