On Facebook, Twitter: Big Increase in News Consumption

By Mark Joyella 

Americans who use Facebook and Twitter are increasingly turning to those social networks as news sources, according to a new survey released today by the Pew Research Center. Amy Mitchell, director of journalism research at the center, said the rise of social news has “implications for how Americans learn about the world and their communities, and for how they take part in the democratic process.”

The study found substantial increase in the percentage of Facebook and Twitter users getting news from social networks, rising from about half of users in 2013 to 63 percent. “The sizeable increase in news consumption on Twitter and Facebook since 2013 corresponds with new initiatives and features both platforms have introduced to promote access and engagement with media content,” said Jon Sotsky, director of strategy and assessment at the Knight Foundation, which was a partner in the survey.

The two platforms differ in how users engage with news, with Twitter nearly 60 percent of users following breaking news—nearly twice the percentage of Facebook users who do the same.

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