Global study shows 54% of Americans receive news from social media, while the UK has highest proportion of news avoiders at 46%
Social media has overtaken television as a source of news in the US for the first time, according to a comprehensive analysis of media consumption confirming the rapid rise of “news influencers”.
In a watershed moment for the US media, 54% of Americans said they received news from social media, according to the research carried out after President Trump’s second inauguration. Half said they sourced news from the once all-powerful TV networks.
The accelerating global shift towards social media and video platforms is laid bare in a major study by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, which surveyed almost 100,000 news consumers worldwide.
It reveals a further diminishing of the influence of traditional news organisations, with more people heading to podcasters, YouTubers and TikTokers. The authors warned it is allowing populist politicians such as Trump and Argentina’s Javier Milei to bypass the scrutiny of the transitional media in favour of new, online networks.
