Two-thirds of U.S. adults now receive their news from social media, with 1 in 5 American adults doing so often, according to a report from the Pew Research Center. Nearly half of all Americans get their news from Facebook, where its influence on the recent U.S. presidential election, and the fidelity of the information presented on that platform, remains a hot topic as we approach future elections.
Let’s examine how the new medium of social media compares to its predecessors, and dig deeper into the habits of Americans who use social media platforms to get their news.
In December 2018, the Pew Research Center found that social media surpassed print newspapers for the first time since they began asking these questions. 20 percent of American adults say they get their news often from social media, which is slightly higher than the 16 percent who do so from print newspapers.
Print newspapers remain a favored source among those 65 and older: 40 percent get their news often there, but no more than 18 percent of any other age group favor print newspapers. Online news websites are favored among those ages 30 to 49, where 42 percent of American adults often use websites and apps.
Also of note is the use of streaming devices on a television for news, where 9 percent of U.S. adults say is their go-to source.
This infographic was first published in Brain World Magazine’s print edition.
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