8 WebsiteCompass Internet Connections Interestingly, even though most U.S. adults consume news on social media, not all of them believe in its accuracy. A 2020 Pew Research Center survey indicated that only 39% of people who read updates on social media believe the information is accurate. The majority (59%) think most of the news they read is largely inaccurate or entirely fabricated. FromTraditional to Digital There’s been a significant transition away from the traditional news sources of print, radio, and TV to digital devices and platforms. Digital devices—smartphone, computer, or tablet—are by far the most common way adults in our country now access their news. For example, about half of U.S. adults say they prefer a digital device compared to the 33% who prefer TV, 7% who prefer radio, and 5% who prefer print. News consumption across platforms varies by age and other demographic factors. For example, those under 50 are more likely to turn to digital devices and prefer them for getting news than are those 50 and older. Not surprisingly, the paid circulation of daily newspapers peaked in 1987 when they amounted to over 62.82 million. By 2020, the paid circulation of daily newspapers had fallen to 24.29 million and continues to decline. While digital devices are now the most common way to access news, where people get that news is divided among several digital platforms. They include news websites, apps, search engines, podcasts, and social media. How Social Media Ranks Here’s the breakdown of which social media U.S. adults regularly use to get news: • Facebook outpaces all other social media sites as the go-to source for news. Roughly a third of U.S. adults (31%) say they regularly get news from Facebook. • About a quarter of U.S. adults regularly get news from YouTube. • Smaller shares get news from Twitter (14%), Instagram (13%), TikTok (10%), or Reddit (8%). • Near the bottom of the list are LinkedIn (4%), Snapchat (4%), Nextdoor (4%), WhatsApp (3%), or Twitch (1%). Is Social Media Your News Source? If you answered “yes,” you’re in the majority of United States adults According to the Pew Research Center, more than half of U.S. adults (53%) say they regularly or periodically get their news from social media. Only 21% say they’ve never relied on social media to stay informed.
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