More People Getting Their News on Facebook, Twitter

Who do you trust to deliver the news about current events and issues? Perhaps, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, or The New York Times? Increasingly and whether we want to admit it or not, the answer is Facebook and Twitter.

According to a new survey from the Pew Research Center, some 63 percent of Twitter and Facebook users say they get news unrelated to their friends and family on these sites. That's a substantial increase from the 52 percent of Twitter users and 47 percent of Facebookers who said these platforms served as a source of news two years ago.

The finding comes as both sites increase their emphasis on news — Twitter with Periscope and its rumored Project Lightning service and Facebook with Instant Articles and its new "Trending" sidebar. But while Facebook and Twitter increasingly serve as a source of news, Pew says there are "significant differences in their potential news distribution strengths."

Twitter, for instance, is more often seen as a source for breaking news. Fifty-nine percent said they follow breaking news on Twitter, compared to just 31 who do so on Facebook.

Meanwhile, if you're looking for political, international, business, and sports news, Twitter may have you covered better than Facebook. Twitter users are more likely than those on Facebook to report seeing news on these topics, Pew said, while the sites are roughly even when it comes to other topics, like local weather, traffic, entertainment, crime, local government, science and technology, and health and medicine.

But if you're in the mood for a good political debate, head over to Facebook. Unsurprisingly, the survey found that when it comes government and politics, Facebook users aren't afraid to make their opinions known. Thirty-two percent of Facebook users said they post political updates compared to 25 percent who do so on Twitter.

However, people more commonly follow news outlets directly on Twitter, Pew found. About half of Twitter users follow news organizations, reports, or commentators, compared with nearly 3 in 10 Facebook users.

About Our Expert

Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

My Experience

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade.

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The Technology I Use

My little Florida beach bungalow is brimming with smart home tech. I have a smart speaker or display in every room, allowing me to control other connected devices by voice. The Nest Hub on my bedside table lets me set wake-up alarms, control my smart light bulbs, and set the temperature on my smart thermostat. I use the Amazon Echo Show 8 on my kitchen counter to browse recipes, reorder protein powder, check the weather, and watch the news while I do dishes.

Because I suffer from allergies, air purifiers are essential. My favorite model is the Dyson Purifier Cool TP07, which doubles as a fan and continuously sends indoor pollution data to its companion mobile app.

My pitbull Bradley sheds, so a good robot vacuum is a must. I currently use a premium Ecovacs Deebot that can both vacuum and mop, empty its own dustbin, and wash its own mop cloth.

For fitness, I like to mix up my routine with cycling, indoor rowing, running, and strength training in addition to yoga. I take classes on the Tonal 2 smart strength training machine, I row indoors on an Aviron machine, and track my beach runs with an Apple Watch while listening to music on my Apple AirPods Pro. On the weekends, I love riding e-bikes like the rugged, beach-friendly Aventon Aventure for fun and fitness.

My job involves a lot of virtual meetings, so a quality webcam, microphone, and ring light are important. I use the Jabra PanaCast 20 webcam, the Elgato Wave: 3 microphone, and a Yesker tripod ring light.

As for my preferred phone platform, I'm an iPhone person, but I've also extensively used Android for product testing.

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