How do we consume news?

More than half of Americans get news on social media, according to a recent survey by Pew Research Center

---

By Victoria Heath

News is everywhere you look. From the notifications pinging on your phone with the latest breaking stories, to podcasts dissecting the latest information – news has worked its way into every digital crevice possible. Of course, one medium of news trumps all: social media. Overall, about half of US adults (53 per cent) say they at least sometimes get news from social media, a figure that has remained roughly stable over the last few years.

But which social media channels are people turning to to find their news? According to Pew Research Center, Facebook and YouTube outpace all other social media sites where Americans regularly get their news. 38 per cent of US adults say they regularly get news on Facebook, ,while 35 per cent say the same about YouTube.

---

Enjoying this article? Check out our related reads:

• What does it mean for the US & world if TikTok ban goes through in 90 days?
• How media has contributed to the rise of the AfD
• Geopolitics: from Pakistan to Ukraine, from Myanmar to North Korea, the news being sidelined
• How French media is reshaping its coverage of extreme weather
• Paul ‘Barbs’ Barbato on the importance of geography & exploration

---

Smaller shares of Americans regularly get news on Instagram (20 per cent), TikTok (20 per cent) or X (12 per cent). Fewer get their news on Reddit (9 per cent), WhatsApp (5 per cent), Threads (3 per cnt) and Bluesky (2 per cent).

Some social media sites – despite having small overall audiences – are major destinations for news among many of their users. For example, 57 per cent of X users get news there, and the same for 55 per cent of Truth Social – the social media created by Trump – users. More than half of TikTok users (55 per cent) say they regularly get news up on the site, a significant uptick from 22 per cent back in 2020.

People who regularly get news on different social media often differ by gender, age and other factors. For instance, women are more likely to get news from Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, while men are more likely to get it from YouTube, X and Reddit.

Younger people are more likely to be regular news consumers on TikTok, Instagram, Reddit and X. Black, Hispanic and Asian Americans are more likely than white Americans to get news from YouTube, Instagram and WhatsApp.

Democrats are also more likely than Republicans to get news from Instagram, TikTok and Reddit. Roughly equal shares of each party say they regularly consume news on YouTube.

In addition, those without a college degree are more likely than those without a college degree to get news from Facebook and TikTok.