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Michael Barthel

Former Senior Researcher

Expertise:News and Information

Michael Barthel is a senior researcher at Pew Research Center, where he focuses on U.S. public opinion of the news media, journalism, and social media. He is the author of reports on the newspaper and public broadcasting media sectors, fake news, civic engagement and news habits, attitudes toward the news media, and Americans’ use of Reddit for news. Barthel received his Ph.D. in communication from the University of Washington, where his research primarily addressed trust in the news media and digital journalism. He regularly discusses his research in interviews with the press and at speaking engagements.

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short readsMay 12, 2016

Liberal Democrats most likely to have learned about election from Facebook

Reports that Facebook employees may have suppressed conservative news stories from the platform’s trending topics section have prompted the chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee to ask the company for answers. News plays a prominent role on Facebook – 63% of Facebook users (or 41% of all U.S. adults) say they get news on the […]
short readsMar 28, 2016

Changing a social media profile picture is one way to express support or solidarity

In the wake of attacks in Brussels and in Lahore, Pakistan, some social media users are changing their profile pictures to express solidarity with victims and the people of these countries. Social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter have become a common way for Americans to get news, but they also can provide a way for […]
reportFeb 25, 2016

Seven-in-Ten Reddit Users Get News on the Site

Presidential candidates were mentioned in over 350,000 comments in May, June and September 2015, with a high level of early interest in Bernie Sanders
short readsFeb 9, 2016

Among Millennials engaged in primaries, Dems more likely to learn about the election from social media

While Millennials overall are more likely than older generations to get political news through social media, there are striking party-line differences, particularly among Millennials who say they are very likely to take part in the primaries and caucuses.
reportFeb 4, 2016

The 2016 Presidential Campaign – a News Event That’s Hard to Miss

About nine-in-ten Americans learn about the election in a given week. But they are divided on what type of news source – from television to digital to radio to print – they find most helpful.
short readsJan 6, 2016

Around half of newspaper readers rely only on print edition

Even in the digital era, many local news consumers still rely on the print product for their news.
short readsAug 19, 2015

How do Americans use Twitter for news?

A look at how researchers analyzed news habits on Twitter using a small but representative sample of users drawn from a national survey of U.S. adults.
short readsAug 6, 2015

As Jon Stewart steps down, 5 facts about The Daily Show

Jon Stewart is stepping down as host of The Daily Show after 16 years. During that time, the show has served not only as a source of media criticism, but also as a source of news in its own right. As Stewart’s tenure comes to an end, here are some key facts about how his program has made its imprint on journalism.
short readsAug 4, 2015

In the news industry, diversity is lowest at smaller outlets

Minorities are still underrepresented at U.S. news organizations, especially when it comes to the places that would-be journalists traditionally try to break into the business: smaller local TV and newspaper outlets.
reportJul 14, 2015

The Evolving Role of News on Twitter and Facebook

Americans are more likely to get news on Twitter and Facebook than ever before. Our new study explores the similarities and differences in the role of news on these two social networks.