Many Americans Find Value in Getting News on Social Media, but Concerns About Inaccuracy Have Risen
By Luxuan Wang and Naomi Forman-Katz for Pew Research Center
Social media plays a crucial role in Americans’ news consumption. Half of all U.S. adults say they at least sometimes get news there, according to a 2023 Pew Research Center survey.
Those who get news on social media name a variety of things that they like about it, including convenience, speed and the element of social interaction. But some social media news consumers also express concerns about news there being inaccurate, low quality and politically biased. The share who say inaccuracy is the aspect they dislike most has increased from 31% to 40% in the past five years.
These findings come from a broader Center survey of U.S. adults’ news habits. The survey asked Americans who get news on social media to describe – in their own words – the things they like and dislike most about getting news there. Their responses were then sorted into categories.
What Americans like about getting news on social media
The aspects of getting news on social media that Americans value have not changed much since 2018, the last time we asked these questions. Convenience remains the top thing people like most about getting news on social media. One-in-five social media news consumers say this, with responses such as “It’s at my fingertips,” “I can easily get it” and “It’s available all the time and anywhere.”
Another 9% say they like the speed with which they can get news there, describing news on social media as “fast and to the point” and “quick and easy to digest.”
Smaller shares say they like interaction with others, the up-to-date nature of the news, the content or format, and the variety of sources and stories.
Meanwhile, 7% of Americans who get news on social media say they don’t like anything about the experience, and an additional 32% did not offer a response.
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