America Gets Its News Mainly From Social Media—What Could Go Wrong?

When you want to know what’s going on in the world, you turn toward the news. This hasn’t changed for decades, but the way we consume news has been rapidly shifting over the years. According to a new report, people in The U.S. get most of their news from social media.

We have come to rely on social media for many things in our lives, from entertainment to general knowledge to advertisements. This also includes video-sharing platforms like YouTube and TikTok. So, this news should not come as much of a surprise. 

People get their news either from television, radio stations, podcasts, videos, or traditional print. As the digital age further matures, older methods of viewing the news are starting to dwindle. This may be for better or for worse, but you know what they say about a genie that’s been let out of the bottle.

Most people get their news from social media in The U.S

This news comes from an in-depth report from Reuters Institute. The numbers are in, and social media, which has been slowly climbing its way up the rankings, has officially usurped television as the biggest news source in The U.S. a whopping 54% of the surveyed audience says that they get their news from social media. 

While that is a large piece of the pie, it’s still just inches away from the previous king, which is television. 50% of the surveyed audience says that they still get the news from traditional television. It is still clinging on tightly. Television-based media has been losing favor with audiences over the years. In any case, there’s no telling if that number will drop in the near future.

The next most popular method of getting news is straight from news outlets. 48% of the surveyed audience gets the news from these sources. So, social media and video sharing platforms are slowly leaving other sources in the dust.

This could be an issue

The main problem with this trend is the fact that it’s all too easy for anyone to upload a video or social media post talking about current events. While there are many reputable news sources out there, they are far outnumbered by people who either intentionally spread misinformation or report on news without proper context. 

This is something that we’ve worried about for decades, but the advent of the internet, social media, video-sharing, and other tech gives a megaphone to anyone, so anyone can report the news how they wish. We’ve seen a surge in misinformation, and it’s only going to get worse as social media and AI tools become more accessible.

For example, many people receive their news from TikTok. Well, according to the report, weekly news consumption through online videos hit a staggering 72% in 2025. That’s a massive leap from 55% in 2021. Video news struck a chord with users between 18 and 24 years old around the world. So, there’s a potential issue with poorly reported news amongst Gen Z viewers.

We also can’t forget about the fact that 57% of the surveyed audience primarily gets their news using their smartphones. So, it’s easier than ever to consume news through many sources. However, the question remains whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing.

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