A new Pew Research Center study reveals a significant shift in how Americans consume news, highlighting the growing role of social media influencers.
The study defines “news influencers” as individuals who regularly post about current events and civic issues on social media and have at least 100,000 followers on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, and YouTube. These influencers range from independent content creators to journalists affiliated with news organizations or who operate independently.
“In the heat of the 2024 election, news influencers seemed to be everywhere,” the report noted. “Both Republicans and Democrats credentialed content creators to cover their conventions—and encouraged influencers to share their political messages. Influencers also interviewed the candidates and held fundraisers for them.”
The report analyzed a sample of 500 news influencers across five major social media sites. It found that the majority of these influencers (85 percent) have a presence on X, making it the most popular platform among them.
Instagram and YouTube are also significant platforms, with 50 percent and 44 percent of influencers using them, respectively.
Many influencers maintain accounts on multiple platforms to maximize their reach, with about two-thirds active on more than one site and 27 percent on five or more platforms. Additionally, a significant number monetize their content through subscriptions, donations, or merchandise sales, according to the report.
Demographically, news influencers are predominantly male, with men comprising 63 percent of the influencer population compared with 30 percent who are women.
When it comes to political beliefs, slightly more influencers explicitly identify as right-leaning (27 percent) than left-leaning (21 percent). About half do not express any clear political orientation, focusing instead on a variety of topics without a specific political stance.
Americans who obtain news from influencers report several benefits. According to the report, a majority (65 percent) say that news influencers have helped them better understand current events and civic issues.
Another seven in 10 say the news they receive from influencers is at least somewhat different from what they get from other sources, and said they 31 percent feel a personal connection to a news influencer.
These consumers also report receiving a variety of content types, including basic facts, opinions, and breaking news. While most say they encounter a mix of opinions they agree and disagree with, a larger proportion mostly agree with the viewpoints presented.
The report also examined the content produced by these influencers. An analysis of more than 100,000 posts from the sampled influencers during three weeks in the summer of 2024 found that influencers cover a wide range of topics.
Of the posts about current events, 55 percent focused on politics, government, or the presidential election. Other common topics include social issues (18 percent) and international affairs (14 percent).
Different platforms tend to have variations in content focus; for instance, social issues were discussed more on certain platforms than others, while discussions about politics and the election were particularly prevalent on YouTube, accounting for 68 percent of posts.
