What Is News?
As people are exposed to more information from more sources than ever before, how they define and feel about “news” has become less clear-cut.
Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
Christopher St. Aubin
Research Assistant
Christopher St. Aubin is a research assistant focusing on news and information research at Pew Research Center.
Publications
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short reads
Support dips for U.S. government, tech companies restricting false or violent online content
Democrats and Democratic leaners are more likely than Republicans and Republican leaners to support government restrictions on false information online.
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short reads
Americans’ top sources of political news ahead of the 2024 election
Among those who listed a main source of political news, six-in-ten say that their source is part of the “mainstream media.”
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report
Americans’ Experiences With Local Crime News
Most U.S. adults say they are interested in several types of local crime coverage, but far fewer say this information is easy to find.
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report
How Americans Get Local Political News
Most U.S. adults follow news about local government and politics, yet only a quarter are highly satisfied with the quality of coverage.
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report
How Hispanic Americans Get Their News
U.S.-born Latinos mostly get their news in English and prefer it in English, while immigrant Latinos have much more varied habits.
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fact sheet
Newspapers Fact Sheet
Newspapers are a critical part of the American news landscape, but they have been hard hit as more and more Americans consume news digitally.
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short reads
Most Americans favor restrictions on false information, violent content online
Most Americans say the U.S. government and technology companies should each take steps to restrict false information and extremely violent content online.
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short reads
True crime podcasts are popular in the U.S., particularly among women and those with less formal education
True crime stands out as the most common topic of top-ranked podcasts in the United States.
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report
A Profile of the Top-Ranked Podcasts in the U.S.
True crime is the most common topic, making up 24% of top-ranked podcasts; 15% of the top podcasts focus on news. The next most common topics are politics and government (10%); entertainment, pop culture and the arts (9%); and self-help and relationships (8%).
