The phrase "a widespread impression of" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing a common belief or perception held by a large number of people about a particular subject or issue.
Example: "There is a widespread impression of the company being untrustworthy due to recent scandals."
Alternatives: "a common perception of" or "a general belief about".
At various points in the book, he alludes to a widespread impression of Coe as arrogant, aloof and rather unlovable – the Steve Davis of athletics.
Nichols has felt something in the American atmosphere — economic uncertainties, extreme weather, a widespread impression of things sliding out of control — and crystallized it into domestic drama and visual fantasia.
The sense that America's schools are critically ill has faded, but that sense has been replaced not by satisfaction, but by a widespread impression of pervasive and unremediable mediocrity.
In the short term, there was a widespread impression in the population of the eurozone that the introduction of the euro had led to an increase in prices, but this impression was not confirmed by general indices of inflation and other studies.
These incidents have compounded a widespread impression among the people of Baghdad that the Americans are careless of Iraqi lives.
About one-third of Americans describe themselves as independent voters, creating a widespread impression that a large group of Americans will provide the decisive swing votes in this year's election.
There had been some surprise at Mr. Lamy's appointment, partly because of a widespread impression that he was simply too blunt and might alienate Europe's trading partners with his no-nonsense approach.
The lack of stimulus has resulted in a slow recovery, and the lack of fairness has left a widespread impression that the economy is rigged for the wealthy, particularly finance and Wall Street types.
However, things that get printed often enough begin to seep into the general consciousness of the past, so there is a widespread impression that Welles wrote "Citizen Kane".
In a telephone interview last week, Gerald Mansbach, president of Kentucky Elec tric Steel, acknowledged that a widespread impression had grown up that anyone could get into the steel business.
Their reports, Erica Grieder writes, have contributed to "a widespread impression that Texas is corrupt, callous, racist, theocratic, stupid, belligerent, and most of all, dangerous".
