A fifth of Americans obtain their news from social media influencers.

• A recent study by the Pew Research Center reveals that approximately 20% of Americans regularly obtain their news from "news influencers" on social media.
• A recent survey indicates that nearly two-thirds of news influencers are men, despite previous research showing that more women consume news on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
• As misinformation spreads and users flee X, political stratification on social media may intensify.

A recent study by the Pew Research Center reveals that approximately 20% of Americans regularly obtain their news from "news influencers" on social media.

The prevalence of social media influencers disseminating information was most notable among the youngest age group, coinciding with increased political polarization during the U.S. presidential election.

"According to Galen Stocking, a senior computational social scientist at the Pew Research Center, we considered news influencers as reliable sources of information to their audiences about global events. In our research, we discovered that 65% of people believe the information they receive from news influencers helps them better comprehend the world."

Nearly 40% of adults under 30 in the study said they get their news from independent social media sources, which is the highest percentage among all age groups.

Since at least 2016, Basil Smikle, a democratic strategist and professor at Columbia, has observed the shift in public opinion.

""Social media makes it easy to access information, which is why it's hard to ignore," Smikle said."

Misinformation can spread more easily when convenience becomes a habit that's difficult to break.

"How do you verify the originality of information obtained through social media, as it's difficult to do so and the algorithm doesn't prioritize it?"

Approximately 67% of the 500 accounts classified as "news influencers" by Pew were active on multiple platforms during July and August.

Among influencers, Instagram, owned by Facebook, was the second most popular social media site, with 85% of respondents reporting their presence on the platform. TikTok, the sixth-most popular platform, came below Meta's Threads and Facebook.

Risk of misinformation

The impact of independent social media influencers on politics was a topic of discussion both before and after the presidential election.

Both candidates employed social media to target young voters, particularly when President-elect Trump appeared on Joe Rogan's podcast and Vice President Harris participated in the "Call Her Daddy" podcast, both of which have substantial followings on social media.

Smikle stated that the ease of presenting information to voters has significantly increased, allowing for consistent delivery of such information to the point where individuals will no longer need to actively seek it out.

Social media is a cost-effective way for candidates to reach a wider audience, especially with the help of news influencers who can promote their platforms.

According to Syracuse professor Joshua Darr, candidates may find it easier to advance their message via podcasts rather than traditional network interviews, as podcast interviews tend to be less confrontational than those conducted on social media or network news.

"While a hard sit-down interview may be beneficial for the electorate, rapid fire gotcha questions may not be something campaigns willingly participate in," he stated.

One consequence, as per Smikle, is that the dissemination of false information becomes more facilitated.

"Social media has removed the standards that networks used to determine what was true, he stated."

Misinformation can spread too quickly to be effectively combatted once it has already caused harm, according to Alaina Wood, one of the news influencers mentioned in the Pew report.

Wood's content primarily focuses on positive climate stories, particularly in her series. However, after her east Tennessee community was hit by Hurricane Helene in September, she claimed that misinformation began to spread about people accused of stealing in the aftermath of the storm.

Wood stated that the issue is that videos debunking misinformation do not typically gain as much popularity as the initial video.

More male, conservative

While a previous study indicated that more women than men consume news on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, a recent survey reveals that nearly two-thirds of news influencers are men.

On TikTok, around 50% of respondents were men, compared with 48% women and 2% who identify either as nonbinary or whose gender could not be determined. On YouTube and Facebook, 68% and 67% of news influencers are men, respectively.

Matteo Recanatini, an influencer who frequently engages in online debates with other creators over misinformation and national politics, has observed significant variations in the gender distribution and political leanings of his followers across various social media platforms.

"He told CNBC that he gets roasted on YouTube, but he won't stop posting what he posts. The majority of his video responders are conservative, and he believes YouTube is as close to MAGA as possible."

According to a report by Pew researchers, more than half of the influencers who responded to the study identified with right-leaning politics, while only 48% identified with left-leaning politics. This difference is particularly pronounced on Facebook, where three times as many respondents identified as conservative as those who identified as liberal.

TikTok is his primary platform, and his audience on this platform is predominantly women and more liberal, as stated by Recanatini.

"Recanatini stated that most individuals engage with content they enjoy, which in turn strengthens the algorithm and leads to echo chambers. If individuals are unaware of this, they may assume that everyone around them shares their beliefs, solely based on their own affinity with the information they consume."

Creating silos

Political stratification on social media may only increase as time goes on.

Elon Musk, the owner, has formed a close alliance with Trump, sparking criticism from many on social media and causing some to abandon the platform.

Jay Rosen, a journalism professor at New York University and one of the influencers mentioned in the Pew report, announced he would depart on Monday following the election.

"Twitter served as a platform for journalism education in the public eye, for free, and I believe I was successful in my role at times. However, I am unsure how to continue in this capacity."

In the week after Trump's election, Bluesky, a micro-blogging startup positioned as an alternative to X, experienced a surge of 1.25 million new users.

"Recanatini stated that people's choice not to post on X is intensifying the echo chamber, resulting in a more radicalized audience as they are only exposed to a limited perspective."