For Local News, Americans Embrace Digital but Still Want Strong Community Connection
Nearly as many U.S. adults prefer to get local news online as through a TV set. And while Americans prize community connection from their local news providers, they are largely unaware of the financial challenges they face.
Most Americans – especially Republicans – say local journalists shouldn’t express views on local issues
There are partisan divisions over certain aspects of local news reporting, including whether local journalists should express views on local issues.
What are the local news dynamics in your city?
Social media outpaces print newspapers in the U.S. as a news source
One-in-five U.S. adults often get news via social media, slightly higher than the 16% who often do so from print newspapers.
Americans Still Prefer Watching to Reading the News - and Mostly Still Through Television
Americans continue to prefer watching the news rather than reading or listening to it, and their viewing loyalties have yet to migrate fully to the web.
Most Western Europeans prefer TV news while use of print outlets lags
Western Europeans have a clear preference for television as a source of news. And while use of online and radio outlets for news is also widespread, print trails the other formats.
News Use Across Social Media Platforms 2018
Most Americans continue to get news on social media, even though many have concerns about its accuracy.
Many Facebook users don’t understand how the site’s news feed works
Around half of U.S. adults who use Facebook say they do not understand why certain posts but not others are included in their news feed. Older users are particularly likely to say they do not understand the workings of the news feed.
Many tweeted about immigration news in Trump’s first month in office, but frequent users drove traffic
About eight-in-ten Twitter users who tweeted about immigration with a link in the first month of the Trump presidency shared at least one tweet that had a link to a news site.
The news that bots share on Twitter tends not to focus on politics
On Twitter, suspected bots are far more active in sharing links to news sites focusing on nonpolitical content than to sites with a political focus.
