Pew: journalists use Twitter far more than their audiences
Though a strong majority (69%) of journalists use Twitter for work-related tasks, just 13% of the general US public say they regularly get their news on the social media platform, according to new research by Pew.
The difference highlights a potential “bubble” experienced by Twitter users, particularly those in the news and media industry.
The public is more likely to receive news from other social media sources, namely Facebook (31%) and YouTube (22%). Instagram (11%), Reddit (7%) and TikTok (6%) are less likely to be sought for news.
A related Pew study last month showed that nearly one-third of all tweets in the US are political in nature, driven especially by older and left-leaning users.
The survey of nearly 12,000 journalists based in the US was conducted in February and March of this year.
It also showed that 57% of US journalists are extremely or very concerned about future restrictions on press freedoms.
There is a wide gap between how journalists and the public perceive the trustworthiness of the news. While 65% of journalists said they believe news organizations do a good job of reporting the news accurately, just 35% of the American public agrees.
Of US journalists, high usage of Twitter tends to skew younger. Whereas 83% of 18-29 year-old journalists use Twitter the most or second most for their job, that percentage drops to 66% for 50-64 year-olds.
That stands in difference to other social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube, which see more consistent use across age groups.
Social media use differs depending on the news organization the journalist works for. Almost all (94%) journalists use social media for their job, but depending on where they work, they might use certain platforms more than others because that is where they can most easily find their target audience or readership.
Namely, journalists who say they work for publications whose audience is generally right-leaning are more likely than journalists with left-leaning audiences to use Facebook (67% vs. 45%), while the opposite is true for Instagram (24% of left-leaning vs. 12% right-leaning).