News Habits & Media

reportFeb 11, 2026

Most people believe Americans have a civic responsibility to be informed when they vote. But far fewer say regularly following news is extremely or very important.

How often do people ‘do their own research’ about news? | Few say Americans have a responsibility to pay for news

data essayDec 3, 2025

short readFeb 11, 2026

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reportAug 16, 2012

Further Decline in Credibility Ratings for Most News Organizations

Overview For the second time in a decade, the believability ratings for major news organizations have suffered broad-based declines. In the new survey, positive believability ratings have fallen significantly for nine of 13 news organizations tested. This follows a similar downturn in positive believability ratings that occurred between 2002 and 2004. The falloff in credibility […]
reportAug 15, 2012

How the Presidential Candidates Use the Web and Social Media

On the eve of the conventions, Barack Obama holds a distinct advantage over Mitt Romney in the way his campaign is using digital technology to communicate directly with voters. The Obama campaign is posting almost four times as much content and is active on nearly twice as many platforms, according to a new study analyzing the content and volume of candidate communications on their websites and social media channels.
reportAug 9, 2012

For Communication Grads, a Modest Job Recovery

What’s the job market like for 2011 mass communication and journalism graduates? According to a new survey from the University of Georgia, there was an uptick in the percentage of bachelor degree recipients who found jobs and, for the first time in years, a small increase in their salaries. But the overall picture is far from rosy.
reportAug 6, 2012

Eight-in-Ten Following Olympics on TV or Digitally

Overview Large majorities of Americans are following coverage of the Olympic Games in London. Nearly eight-in-ten (78%) say they have watched or followed Olympic coverage either on television, online or on social networks. Television remains far-and-away the leading platform for Olympic coverage; 73% say they have watched coverage on television. Still, 17% say they have […]
reportAug 1, 2012

Colorado Rampage Tops News Interest for July

Overview In the final two weeks of July, Americans kept a close watch on news about a deadly shooting rampage at a Colorado movie theater, but they also closely tracked news about two long-running stories – the condition of the nation’s economy and the 2012 presidential campaign. News about the shootings, which left 12 dead […]
reportJul 25, 2012

On Twitter, Verdict on Paterno Unchanged by Freeh Report, NCAA

The conversation on Twitter about the Penn State scandal has shifted focus over the last month from the man convicted of sexual abuse to the school and then to the NCAA. But one constant in the conversation has not budged—views of Joe Paterno.
reportJul 24, 2012

Most Say They Already Know Enough about the Candidates

Overview With more than three months to go before Election Day, most voters already feel that there’s little left to learn about the presidential candidates. When it comes to Barack Obama, 90% say they already pretty much know what they need to know about him; just 8% say they need to learn more. A substantial […]
reportJul 23, 2012

Colorado Shootings Capture Public’s Interest

Overview About half of the public says they very closely followed news about the deadly shooting rampage shortly after midnight Friday morning in a movie theater in Colorado, making this one of the most closely followed stories so far in 2012. Fully 48% say they followed this news very closely, according to the latest survey […]
reportJul 16, 2012

YouTube & News

News is becoming a major part of what Americans watch on YouTube. In the last 15 months, a third of the most searched terms on the video sharing site were news related. A new study by the Project for Excellence in Journalism explores the character of news on YouTube.
reportJun 29, 2012

Social Media Passionate and Divided over Court’s Health Care Ruling

Users of Twitter, Facebook and blogs weighed in heavily on the Supreme Court Health Care ruling last week. PEJ examines the sentiment on each of the three social media platforms, how that sentiment shifted in the days that followed the ruling and the degree to which users delved into implications for the presidential contenders.

Signature Reports

reportAug 20, 2025

Reporters interview House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., on his way to the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol on July 2, 2025.

U.S. adults largely value journalists’ role in society but see their influence declining – and they differ over what a journalist is.

reportJun 10, 2025

Democrats are much more likely than Republicans to both use and trust many major news sources.

reportMar 31, 2025

President Donald Trump speaks with reporters on the White House South Lawn on March 21, 2025.

Far fewer are hearing about the administration’s relationship with the media than was the case early in President Donald Trump’s first term.

reportNov 18, 2024

Pew Research Center illustration for America's News Influencers report; photos via Getty Images

This study explores the makeup of the social media news influencer universe, including who they are, what content they create and who their audiences are.

Features

featureJun 10, 2025

fact sheetSep 25, 2025

data essayMay 13, 2025

featureFeb 6, 2024