---
title: "Role of Social Networking in Egypt in Getting Political News"
description: "Nearly a quarter of Egyptians (23%) say they have used social networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace and Twitter to obtain news about their country’s political situation."
date: "2012-01-29"
authors:
  - name: "Russell Heimlich"
    job_title: "Former web developer"
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/russell-heimlich/"
url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2012/01/29/role-of-social-networking-in-egypt-in-getting-political-news/"
categories:
  - "Facebook"
---

# Role of Social Networking in Egypt in Getting Political News

Nearly a quarter of Egyptians (23%) say they have used social networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace and Twitter to obtain news about their country’s political situation.

Nearly a quarter of Egyptians (23%) say they have used social networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace and Twitter to obtain news about their country’s political situation; 6% access these sites but have not used it as a source of political news. About two-thirds (65%) do not use the internet or email.

Usage of social networking sites as a source of political news and information is especially prevalent among the highly educated and those with higher incomes. Two-thirds of those with a college education obtain news about Egypt’s political situation from these sites, compared with 23% of those with a secondary education and just 1% of those with a primary education or less. Similarly, about half (51%) of those with high incomes use social networking sites for political news and information, compared with just 12% of those in the middle-income category and 15% of those with low incomes. Few among the less-educated and poorer Egyptians access the internet at all. [Read More](https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2011/04/25/chapter-1-views-of-political-change/?src=prc-number)