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For the first time, the proportion of Americans turning to social media for news surpassed traditional platforms like TV.
Oxford's Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism released its 2025 Digital News Report this week, and the data shows a shift in how Americans get their news.
Researchers surveyed nearly 100,000 people across 48 countries and asked how often they used certain forms of media to get their news in the past week – social and video networks, TV, online news sites, news podcasts, print, and AI news.
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For the first time this year (the RISJ has released a media report every year since 2012), the No. 1 spot, or the largest proportion of respondents who used a particular source in the past week, went to social media, with 54%. Traditional television claimed the No. 2 spot with 50%. Online news sites were right behind at 48%. Not surprisingly, print media has plummeted in the past decade, with 47% of people getting their news from print in 2013, but only 14% in 2025.
The study was conducted via an online questionnaire, which means the data probably does skew towards a younger, digitally connected demographic overall, but the rising-and-falling trends stand. While this study includes data from users around the world, the rise in social media is happening faster and with more impact in the US.
While still a small presence, AI chatbots have also entered the picture. Seven percent of overall users said they get news from AI chatbots, but the under-25 age bracket is much higher – 15%.
Nieman Lab
Why are people turning to social media for news?
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