Signal Summer 2019 Newsletter

10 www.alliancecom.net Using Twitter as a News Source This social media giant is now a go-to site for getting the latest updates Did you hear the news about…? Growing News Source With the rise of electronic media, people have become more and more likely to get their news online. Social media, in particular, has been growing steadily in its use as a source for news. A Pew Research Center study shows that 67 percent of Americans report that they get at least some of their news on social media, with two out of ten doing so often. 1 This information from 2017 represents an increase from the previous year, when 62 percent reported getting news from social media. In particular, the number of users who get news on Twitter, YouTube, and Snapchat has grown, according to the study. Specifically, 74 percent of Twitter users reported getting news on the site, up 15 percentage points from the previous year. About one-third of YouTube users get news on that site (an increase of 11 percentage points), and 29 percent of Snapchat users get news there (a 17 percent increase). The study shows that users of other social media sites—including Facebook, Reddit, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Tumblr—also As social media becomes more prevalent, it’s assuming some news functions that were previously the domain of traditional media including newspapers, radio, and TV. Twitter, in particular, is now known for its up-to-the-minute communication from reputable “breaking news” accounts, such as The Associated Press and Reuters Top News, as well as other news outlets and citizen reporters. While Twitter is part of a larger trend, its brief word limit (280 characters), trends element, and news-promoting features make it a unique choice for users who want to be in the know.