Social media plays an important role in Americans’ news consumption. Half of U.S. adults say they get their news there at least sometimes, according to a 2023 Pew Research Center survey.
People who receive news on social media cite a variety of things they like about social media, including convenience, speed, and the social interaction element. However, some consumers of social media news have expressed concerns that the news is inaccurate, low quality, and politically biased. The percentage of people who say the thing they dislike most is inaccuracy has increased from 31% to 40% over the past five years.
These findings come from the center’s extensive research into the news habits of American adults. The survey asked Americans who get their news on social media to describe in their own words what they like and dislike most about getting their news on social media. Their responses were then sorted into categories.
As part of a study on the news habits of American adults, the Pew Research Center asked two open-ended questions about what people like and dislike most about getting news on social media. The survey surveyed 8,842 U.S. adults and was conducted from September 25 to October 1, 2023.
Everyone who completes the survey will become a member of the Center’s American Trends Panel (ATP). The ATP is an online survey panel drawn from a nationwide random sample of residential addresses. In this way, nearly every American adult has the opportunity to choose. The survey is weighted to be representative of the U.S. adult population by gender, race, ethnicity, partisan affiliation, education, and other categories. Learn more about ATP’s methodology here.
We asked all respondents who said they get their news from social media to answer an open-ended question. Responses were manually coded into categories. In total, he coded 4,507 open-ended responses for what respondents liked most and 4,453 responses for what respondents disliked least.
Here are the questions and answers used in the Fall 2023 survey, and how we did it.
In a separate ATP survey of 3,576 U.S. adults conducted March 20-26, 2023, we found that Americans prefer social media or news outlets for different types of information. I asked. Here are the questions and answers used in the Spring 2023 survey, and how we did it.
The Pew Research Center is a subsidiary of its principal funder, the Pew Charitable Trusts. This is the latest report in the Pew Research Center’s ongoing investigation into the state of news, information and journalism in the digital age. This research program is funded by the Pew Charitable Trusts and receives generous support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.
what an american like About getting news on social media
The aspects Americans value when getting news on social media haven’t changed much since the last time we asked these questions in 2018. Convenience This remains the top thing people like most when getting news on social media. One in five social media news consumers said this, with responses such as “readily available,” “easily available,” and “available anytime, anywhere.” has been received.
Another 9% said they liked it. speed They get their news there and describe news on social media as “fast and to the point” and “quick and easy to understand.”
Respondents said they “like” small-cap stocks Interacting with others, Latest Due to the nature of news, content or formatand the various sources and stories.
Meanwhile, 7% of Americans who got their news on social media said they didn’t like anything about the experience, and an additional 32% did not respond.
what an american dislike About getting news on social media
Many consumers of social media news believe there are downsides to getting news this way.4 in 10 Americans say they get their news from social media inaccurate The thing they dislike the most is up 9 percentage points from 2018. Responses in this category include concerns about unconfirmed facts, misinformation, “fake news,” and unreliable sources.
A much smaller percentage of social media news consumers say they dislike social media news (8%). low quality It includes news stories that exemplify clickbait and lack of in-depth reporting. Some say the news on social media is: Too biased or too political (6%) or don’t like it how people behave There it is (5%).
Another 1% of social media news consumers say: censorship That’s what they hate the most. This category, first used in the 2023 survey, includes responses such as “sites censor me too much” and “I really don’t like it when parts of my point of view are removed.” There is no significant difference between Democrats and Republicans in the percentage of social media news consumers who say they are concerned about news censorship on social media. In fact, there are no partisan differences in any of these complaint categories.
Only 4% of respondents said they don’t dislike getting their news from social media. A further 31% did not answer the question.
Social media posts and news outlets: What do Americans prefer when it comes to certain types of information?
The perceived downside of getting news on social media may help explain why many Americans prefer to go directly to news outlets instead. Another study by the Center surveyed U.S. adults who said they get their news at least sometimes on social media, and found that they would prefer to read social media posts or go directly to news outlets for five types of information. I asked him if he liked it. Those types of information include: basic facts Not just about issues and events; more information and opinion Moreover.
Americans prefer to receive four out of five types of information from the news media rather than social media. However, a significant proportion of people say they prefer to receive all types of information equally from news outlets and social media.
For example, 45% of respondents say they prefer news outlets for the most detailed information on issues and events, but only 11% prefer social media posts to do so. A further 34% said they rated both sources equally, and 8% said they preferred neither option.
Additionally, social media news consumers tend to prefer news outlets over social media for the following information:
- Basic facts about the issue or event (39% vs. 14%)
- Up-to-date information about ongoing events (34% vs. 21%)
- Information about how an issue or event will impact you (31% vs. 15%)
In each of these cases, roughly 4 in 10 or more said they liked social media and news outlets equally.
In contrast, Americans are equally likely to prefer the news media and social media for opinions on issues (22% each).
The center’s previous research has shown that younger Americans are more likely than older Americans to get their news from social media, and that pattern appears in the latest findings. There is. Adults under 30 turn to social media more than news outlets to get opinions on issues (36% vs. 13%) and to stay informed about events as they happen (35% vs. 21%) I obviously prefer using . Americans 65 and older are far more likely to prefer the news media over social media for all the types of information we ask about.
Wang Rikuken I am a researcher at the Pew Research Center.
naomi forman katz He is a research analyst specializing in news and information research at Pew Research Center.