Local Newspapers Fact Sheet
Local newspapers have been hit particularly hard by the transition to digital news consumption in recent years, with many forced to shutter their doors permanently.
Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
Local newspapers have been hit particularly hard by the transition to digital news consumption in recent years, with many forced to shutter their doors permanently.
In recent years, several new options have emerged in the social media universe, many of which explicitly present themselves as alternatives to more established social media platforms. Free speech ideals and heated political themes prevail on these sites, which draw praise from their users and skepticism from other Americans.
More Americans now prefer to get local news online, while fewer turn to TV or print. And most say local news outlets are important to their community.
About half (48%) of U.S. adults say they get news from social media “often” or “sometimes,” a 5 percentage point decline compared with 2020. More than half of Twitter users get news on the site regularly.
The declining public trust in the news media and polarization of news audiences have profound effects on civic life.
In March 2020, about three-quarters (74%) of public Facebook posts about COVID-19 linked to news organizations, while just 1% linked to health and science sites.
Videos from independent news producers are more likely to cover subjects negatively and discuss conspiracy theories.
Most Americans continue to get news on social media, even though many have concerns about its accuracy.
Read 10 key findings from recent Pew Research Center reports about today’s digital news media landscape.
Many Americans turned to Google to learn about the Flint water crisis. An analysis of aggregated searches over time illustrates how, in today’s digital environment, public interest shifts as a story unfolds.
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