Most people don't go on Facebook in search of news, but many find it there, according to a new survey from the Pew Research Center.

"Overall, about half of adult Facebook users, or 47 percent, 'ever' get news there," Pew said in its report. "That amounts to 30 percent of the population."

The survey of 5,173 U.S. adults, conducted between Aug. 21 and Sept. 2, found that 78 percent of those who consume news on Facebook do so after visiting the site for another reason. Just 4 percent said Facebook is the most important way they get news. In general, many think that Facebook is a good way to hear about breaking news without actually seeking it out.

Even so, "the survey provides evidence that Facebook exposes some people to news who otherwise might not get it," Pew said. For instance, 38 percent of "heavy news followers" say Facebook is an important way to get news, compared to 47 percent who follow news less often.

One respondent even said that if it wasn't for Facebook, "I'd probably never really know what's going on in the world because I don't have time to keep up with the news on a bunch of different locations."

This is especially true for younger adults, Pew said. Those between the ages of 18 and 29 account for about a third, or 34 percent, of all Facebook news consumers.

"All in all, then, it may be the very incidental nature of the site that ultimately exposes more people to news there," Pew said. "Indeed, the more time one spends on the site, the more likely they are to get news there."

Sixty-seven percent of those who use Facebook for at least an hour a day get news there compared with 41 percent of those who spend less than an hour a day on the site. Users most often get entertainment news on Facebook, followed by information about happenings in their community, sports, and national politics and government news.