Americans are following the news less closely than they used to
In 2016, 51% of U.S. adults said they followed the news all or most of the time, but that share fell to 36% in 2025.
Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
Naomi Forman-Katz
Research Analyst
Naomi Forman-Katz is a research analyst focusing on news and information research at Pew Research Center.
Publications
-
-
data essay
Young Adults and the Future of News
U.S. adults under 30 follow news less closely than any other age group. And they’re more likely to get (and trust) news from social media.
-
fact sheet
News Influencers Fact Sheet
About one-in-five U.S. adults say they regularly get news from news influencers on social media, and this is especially common among younger adults.
-
report
How Americans View Journalists in the Digital Age
U.S. adults largely value journalists’ role in society but see their influence declining – and they differ over what a journalist is.
-
short reads
Bluesky has caught on with many news influencers, but X remains popular
The share of news influencers in our sample with a Bluesky account roughly doubled in the four months after Election Day 2024, from 21% beforehand to 43% by March.
-
data essay
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.
-
short reads
Americans remain concerned about press freedoms, but partisan views have flipped since 2024
A majority of Democrats (60%) are highly concerned about press freedoms – about double the share of Republicans (28%).
-
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.
-
report
Americans’ Changing Relationship With Local News
More Americans now prefer to get local news online, while fewer turn to TV or print. And most say local news outlets are important to their community.
-
short reads
Many Americans find value in getting news on social media, but concerns about inaccuracy have risen
Four-in-ten Americans who get news from social media say inaccuracy is the thing they dislike most about it – an increase of 9 percentage points since 2018.
