YouTube and Facebook are the #1 News Suppliers

Research shows that Facebook and YouTube are the primary news sources for almost one-half of the American population.  

Digital versions of newspapers, magazines, and tabloids are still in demand. Including well-worded articles with expert opinion and thoughtful analysis. But when it comes to a daily bite of news, people prefer aggregators and social media.

According to Pew Research Center, 48% of the American viewers/readers prefer social media. Facebook is an absolute #1 when it comes to news consumption: 31% of all new-seekers visit this platform to learn what’s happening in the world.

The second place belongs to YouTube — 22% of the American viewers choose the video hosting site as their source of up-to-date knowledge. Twitter and Instagram are closing the news “quartet” with 13% and 11% respectively.

Interestingly, among other news sources related to social media, Americans named TikTok, WhatsApp, and even Twitch. And as it turns out, TikTok has seen a slight rise in the number of people who get their daily news updates there.

Another peculiar nuance is that each segment of social media has a specific ethnic color. Research shows that most of the FB news consumers are white, meanwhile black and Hispanic audiences rely on Instagram to learn about the latest stories and trends.

Another peculiar discovery testifies that news preferences can correlate with political orientation. 

As it’s been revealed, the majority of people who get news from social media sympathize or directly support the Democrats. And the Republican supporters, it seems, turn away from social media and prefer more traditional news outlets.

Facebook and YouTube are responsible for delivering news and shaping opinions, it seems. But at the same time, social media have been repeatedly blamed for manipulative practices and shabby fact-checking. Do you think they deserve trust? Let us know in the comments!