Advertisement

Pew: Social media overtake print newspapers as news source in U.S.

By Allen Cone
Social media is now fourth-most used source for news information, surpassing printed newpspapers, according to the Pew Research Center. Photo by LoboStudioHamburg/Pixabay
1 of 2 | Social media is now fourth-most used source for news information, surpassing printed newpspapers, according to the Pew Research Center. Photo by LoboStudioHamburg/Pixabay

Dec. 10 (UPI) -- Social media surpassed printed newspapers as the fourth-most used source for news, according to the Pew Research Center.

Twenty percent of those surveyed from July 30 to Aug. 12 responded they often get their news from social media, including Facebook and Twitter, compared with 16 percent for print newspapers. In 2016, print newspapers were ahead of social media, 20 percent to 18 percent.

Advertisement

Surveyed were 4,581 adults with a margin of error of 2.5 percentage points. They were allowed to list more than one media source.

Television remains the top source at 49 percent, but it is down 8 percentage points from 2016.

News websites are No. 2 at 33 percent compared with 28 percent two years ago. Radio remains third at 26 percent, 1 percentage point ahead of 2016.

Local news is the most popular on television at 37 percent, compared with 30 percent who get cable TV news often and 25 percent who often watch national evening network news shows.

Nine percent of respondents said they got news from a streaming device on their TV -- the first time the question was asked. A majority of those who get news from streaming TV often -- 73 percent-- also say that they get news often on broadcast or cable TV.

Advertisement

News usage varies drastically between younger and older Americans.

Eighty-one percent of those 65 and older said they got news from television often and two-thirds of those 50 to 64. However, only 16 percent of those 18 to 29 and 36 percent of those 30 to 49 get news often from television.

Among the oldest age group, 39 percent get news from print newspapers often compared with 18 percent of any other age group.

Online news sites are most popular among those 30 to 49 at 42 percent. Twenty-seven percent of 18- to 29-year-olds get news from news websites -- the second most commonly used platform for news for that age group.

Social media is the most popular news platform among the youngest adults -- 36 percent -- ahead of 27 percent for news websites, TV at 16 percent, radio at 13 percent and print at 2 percent.

Those younger Americans don't rely on one platform like majority of their elders who turn to TV exclusively.

Latest Headlines