Social Media Becomes American News Source
By Kyle Aevermann In Social Media, Studies & Stats
It was just last week, I was explaining how some of my predictions for the next decade in the social media world were coming true. This week, thanks to the latest study from Pew Internet, another prediction has become a reality.
The study analyzed how American’s are now using social media and other variables to consume their news. Just the other week, we watch the Austin plane crash unfold before our very eyes through the social networks. In fact, based on a sample of 2,259 adults, 75% of them read news through social networks or e-mail, while about 52% of those continued to forward on the news to others.
Now that we have multiple news platforms, the fact that 7% of those studies on use a single media platform is a bit shocking. Local news stations still remain the biggest source for news. Nearly 78% of American’s say they watch at least one local newscast a day. It’s a big suprsing that only 61% of those surveyed read their news on the Internet. However that’s more than triple the amount of people who read their news in a national newspaper, only 17%.
33% of cellphone users use their phones to access news. Most of their searches are for weather updates. 37% use sites like Facebook & Twitter to use the news in one form or another, whether it’s sharing, commenting, or creating items on those networks.
If you’d like to see more from the report, visit Pews Internet website.
NookSurfer
I don’t find this surprising as the new trend of going green and the advancements in technology. Especially with people on the move, it is just more economical and convenient to go the electronic route compared to the traditional newspapers.