Pew Research Center conducted this analysis to understand Americans’ preferences on how to consume news. We previously asked these questions in 2016 and 2018 as part of our broader work on measuring news consumption and preferences across multiple platforms.
For this analysis, we surveyed 5,153 U.S. adults from Aug. 18 to 24, 2025. Everyone who took part in the survey is a member of the Center’s American Trends Panel (ATP), a group of people recruited through national, random sampling of residential addresses who have agreed to take surveys regularly. This kind of recruitment gives nearly all U.S. adults a chance of selection. Interviews were conducted either online or by telephone with a live interviewer. The survey is weighted to be representative of the U.S. adult population by gender, race, ethnicity, partisan affiliation, education and other factors. Read more about the ATP’s methodology.
Note: Respondents who did not answer are not shown.
Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted Aug. 18-24, 2025. For dates of other surveys, refer to the topline.
PEW RESEARCH CENTER
The most common way that Americans prefer to get their news is by watching it: 44% of U.S. adults say this, according to an August 2025 Pew Research Center survey. A smaller share (37%) prefers to get news by reading it, while 19% prefer listening to the news.
These numbers are nearly unchanged from 2018 – the last time we asked this question – when 47% of Americans preferred to get news by watching it, 34% by reading it and 19% by listening to it.
News watchers prefer television, readers prefer digital devices
Most Americans who prefer to watch the news also prefer TV over any other platform for news
Among those who prefer watching/reading/listening to news, % who say they prefer to get news from …
Note: Respondents who did not answer are not shown.
Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted Aug. 18-24, 2025.
PEW RESEARCH CENTER
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Most Americans who prefer to watch the news also prefer TV over any other platform for news
Among those who prefer watching/reading/listening to news, % who say they prefer to get news from …
Note: Respondents who did not answer are not shown.
Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted Aug. 18-24, 2025.
PEW RESEARCH CENTER
There are many ways to watch news, from traditional cable or network TV to streaming services and social media. A rising share of Americans have been getting news from YouTube and TikTok.
Still, a majority of Americans who prefer to watch the news (62%) say they prefer to get it from TV, rather than another platform. An additional 34% say they prefer digital devices – including 12% who favor social media and 11% who prefer news websites or apps.
Americans who prefer to read the news overwhelmingly prefer to do so digitally (80%). This includes 39% who prefer to get their news from news websites or apps and smaller shares who prefer social media (19%) or search engines (14%).
Among Americans who prefer to listen to the news, about half (52%) prefer to do so on digital devices – including 21% who say they favor podcasts as a news platform. One-in-five news listeners prefer to get news from radio, and a similar share like TV best (23%).
A majority of Americans ages 65 and older prefer to watch news
Older adults are more likely to prefer watching news; younger adults more likely to prefer reading it
% of U.S. adults who say they prefer to get their news by …
Note: Respondents who did not answer are not shown.
Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted Aug. 18-24, 2025.
PEW RESEARCH CENTER
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Older adults are more likely to prefer watching news; younger adults more likely to prefer reading it
% of U.S. adults who say they prefer to get their news by …
Note: Respondents who did not answer are not shown.
Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted Aug. 18-24, 2025.
PEW RESEARCH CENTER
More than half of U.S. adults ages 65 and older (57%) prefer to watch their news. This group is also more likely to get news on TV and to prefer TV as a news platform, according to previous Center research.
Younger age groups are more mixed in their preferences. Among adults under age 30, the largest share prefers to get news by reading it (45%), while 31% say they prefer watching it and 23% prefer listening to it.
