New York (CNN) — Young American adults are increasingly getting their news from social media influencers, a majority of whom are men and lean to the right, according to a new study from the Pew Research Center.
While one-fifth of US adults reported “regularly” receiving their news from online “news influencers” who post about current events, that number climbed to nearly 40% of young adults aged 18 to 29, the study published Monday found. Among those who get their news from influencers, 65% said it helped shape their understanding of current events and civic issues.
The Pew study, which analyzed 500 popular news influencers with more than 100,000 followers and surveyed 10,658 Americans about their news consumption, was conducted across three weeks in July and August during the run-up to the presidential election. During the campaign, social media influencers and podcasters such as Joe Rogan and Alex Cooper played a key role in voter outreach efforts by Vice President Kamala Harris …