--- title: "What Americans like and dislike about getting news on social media" description: "Plus, Facebook turns 20, Tucker Carlson interviews Vladimir Putin." date: "2024-02-08" authors: - name: "snaseer" url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/newsletter/the-briefing/what-americans-like-and-dislike-about-getting-news-on-social-media/" --- # What Americans like and dislike about getting news on social media ![](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/prc-logo.png){.aligncenter width=409} --- February 8, 2024 # The Briefing **☀️ Happy Thursday!** *The Briefing is your guide to the world of news and information*.* [**Sign up here!**](https://www.pewresearch.org/sign-up-for-the-briefing/)* **In today*’*s email:** - **Featured story:** Facebook turns 20 - **New from Pew Research Center:** What Americans like and dislike about getting news on social media - **In other news:** CNN staffers allege “journalistic malpractice” over outlet’s coverage of war in Gaza - **Looking ahead:** Tucker Carlson interviews Vladimir Putin - **Chart of the week:** Most top-ranked podcasts bring on guests 🔥 **Featured story** It has been **20 years since Facebook** **first launched **at Harvard. Over the last two decades, the site has transformed the way people connect online, and its reach has grown to [3 billion monthly users worldwide](https://www.statista.com/statistics/264810/number-of-monthly-active-facebook-users-worldwide/). In recent years, lawmakers and the public [in the United States](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/24/technology/states-lawsuit-children-instagram-facebook.html) and [abroad](https://apnews.com/article/meta-facebook-data-privacy-fine-europe-9aa912200226c3d53aa293dca8968f84) have grown more critical of Facebook and its parent company, Meta. **Three-in-ten Americans say they regularly get news from Facebook,** according to a [fall 2023 survey](https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/fact-sheet/social-media-and-news-fact-sheet/) – higher than the shares who turn to other social media platforms for news. Still, among Facebook users, the share who say they regularly get news there has fallen from 54% in 2020 to 43% last year. [Our new analysis ](https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/02/02/5-facts-about-how-americans-use-facebook-two-decades-after-its-launch/)has five facts about how Americans use Facebook. 🚨 **New from Pew Research Center** We recently asked Americans who get news on social media to describe – in their own words – the things they like and dislike most about getting news there. Here are key findings from [our new analysis](https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/02/07/many-americans-find-value-in-getting-news-on-social-media-but-concerns-about-inaccuracy-have-risen/): - People say **convenience** is the top reason they *like* to get news on social media. One-in-five social media news consumers say this. - **Inaccuracy **is the top element that people *dislike *about getting news on social media; 40% cite reasons within this "inaccuracy" category, up from 31% in 2018. The analysis also looks at whether people prefer getting different types of news from social media or directly from news outlets. [![A bar chart showing that Americans prefer news outlets to social media for several types of news information.](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2024/02/SR_24.02.07_social-media-news_3.webp?w=640){.aligncenter width=400}](https://www.pewresearch.org/newsletter/the-briefing/the-briefing-2024-02-08/sr_24-02-07_social-media-news_3-webp/) 📌 **In other news** - [CNN staffers allege "journalistic malpractice"](https://www.theguardian.com/media/2024/feb/04/cnn-staff-pro-israel-bias) over the outlet’s coverage of the war in **Israel and Gaza** - **Meta **urges tech industry to [create standards for labeling AI-generated content](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/06/technology/meta-ai-standards-labels.html) - **Semafor** plans to use AI to help [curate news](https://www.theverge.com/2024/2/5/24062229/semafor-signals-miso-ai-microsoft) - The Atlantic [cuts ties](https://www.washingtonpost.com/style/media/2024/02/05/atlantic-yascha-mounk/) with contributer **Yascha Mounk** after rape allegation - Microblogging site **Bluesky **is [now available to the public](https://techcrunch.com/2024/02/06/bluesky-is-now-open-for-anyone-to-join/) - Dozens of [journalists detained](https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/03/europe/journalists-moscow-military-mobilization-intl/index.html) in **Moscow** during protests - Websites [posing as local news outlets](https://www.reuters.com/world/chinese-firm-behind-news-websites-pushes-pro-beijing-content-globally-2024-02-07/) push **pro-Beijing content** in 30 countries, study finds 📅 **Looking ahead** Former Fox News host **Tucker Carlson’s** [interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-68223148) – Putin’s first with an American media figure in more than two years – will air Thursday at 6 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on Carlson’s website. A [recent Pew Research Center survey](https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/12/08/about-half-of-republicans-now-say-the-us-is-providing-too-much-aid-to-ukraine/) found that **about half of Republicans and independents who lean toward the Republican Party say the United States is providing too much assistance to Ukraine** in its fight against Russia, compared with 16% of Democrats and Democratic leaners. Just 9% of Republicans held this view in March 2022, shortly after Russia’s invasion. 📊 **Chart of the week** This week’s chart comes from [our new analysis](https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/2024/02/06/most-top-ranked-podcasts-bring-on-guests/) of **podcast guests**. About three-quarters of top-ranked podcasts (76%) brought on at least one guest in 2022. This includes 22% that featured guests regularly and 5% that had guests in almost every episode. Also explore [our audio tour through America’s top-ranked podcasts.](https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/2024/02/06/an-audio-tour-through-americas-top-ranked-podcasts/) [![This is a pie chart that shows the % of top-ranked podcasts in the U.S. that almost always/regularly/occasionally/never had guests on the podcasts. 76% ever had guests (including those that did almost always, regularly, or occasionally) and 24% never did.](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2024/02/PL_2024.02.06_podcast-guests_0-01-1.webp?w=310){.aligncenter width=294}](https://www.pewresearch.org/newsletter/the-briefing/the-briefing-2024-02-08/pl_2024-02-06_podcast-guests_0-01-1-webp/) --- *👋 That's all for this week. * The Briefing is compiled by Pew Research Center staff, including Naomi Forman-Katz, Jacob Liedke, Sarah Naseer, Christopher St. Aubin, Luxuan Wang and Emily Tomasik. It is edited by Katerina Eva Matsa, Michael Lipka and Mark Jurkowitz, and copy edited by Rebecca Leppert. *Do you like this newsletter? Email us at [journalism@pewresearch.org](mailto:journalism@pewresearch.org) or fill out this [two-question survey](https://us1.list-manage.com/survey?u=434f5d1199912232d416897e4&id=449f3c3d35&attribution=false) to tell us what you think*. --- [Update preferences]({{ update_preferences }})* * [View in browser](http://{{ blog_post }})* * [Unsubscribe]({{ unsubscribe_link }})* * [Facebook](https://facebook.com/pewresearch) [Twitter](https://twitter.com/pewresearch) [Instagram](https://instagram.com/pewresearch) Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank. As a neutral source of data and analysis, Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. © 2024 Pew Research Center