In a fragmented media environment with seemingly endless sources of information to choose from, Americans’ news habits have changed dramatically in the 21st century. Today, an overwhelming majority of U.S. adults at least sometimes get news from digital devices. This fact sheet looks at the platforms they turn to for news, including patterns and trends over time.
About this research
This Pew Research Center fact sheet looks at trends in how people get news from different traditional and digital platforms.
Why we did this
We conducted this research to understand where Americans get their news, which sources they prefer and how these habits vary across demographic groups and over time.
How we did this
For this analysis, we surveyed 5,166 U.S. adults from Aug. 24 to 30, 2026. Everyone who took part in these surveys is a member of the Center’s American Trends Panel. The surveys represent the views of the full U.S. adult population.
Here are the questions used for this analysis, the topline and the survey methodology.
News consumption across all platforms
A large majority of U.S. adults (88%) say they at least sometimes get news from digital devices like a smartphone, computer or tablet. This includes 59% who say they do so often – up slightly from 2025, when 56% of Americans said they often get news from digital devices.
Digital devices are by far the most common way Americans get news, although a majority (63%) also get news from television at least sometimes. This includes 31% who say they often get news from TV, a share that has stayed fairly steady over the last few years.
Americans turn to radio and print publications for news less frequently. As of 2026, 12% of U.S. adults say they often get news from radio, and 6% say the same about printed newspapers or magazines. Both of these shares are roughly the same as last year.
News consumption across digital platforms
There are several different pathways Americans use to get news on their digital devices. News websites or apps, social media, and search engines are the most common: More than half of U.S. adults say they at least sometimes get news in each of these ways. The shares of Americans who get news from social media and search have both increased since 2025.
About a third of Americans say they often or sometimes get news from email newsletters (34%) or podcasts (32%).
Artificial intelligence chatbots such as ChatGPT or Google Gemini have become a source of news for more Americans in the past year. As of summer 2026, 15% say they get news from AI chatbots at least sometimes, up from 9% in 2025.
News platform preferences
When asked which of these platforms they prefer for news, about three-in-ten U.S. adults (28%) say television. Relatively few prefer radio (5%) or print publications (4%).
Americans have a range of preferences when it comes to news on digital platforms. About a fifth say they prefer to get news from news websites or apps (21%) or social media (19%), while 12% prefer search and 5% prefer podcasts. Relatively small shares say email newsletters (2%) or AI chatbots (1%) are their preferred platforms for news.
Between 2025 and 2026, the share of Americans who say they prefer to get news from television decreased (from 34% to 28%), while the share who prefer social media increased (from 14% to 19%).
Related: Social Media and News Fact Sheet
Who uses each news platform?
News consumption across platforms varies by age, gender, race and ethnicity, and educational attainment. For example, Americans ages 50 and older are more likely than younger adults to get news from television and print publications – and less likely to get news from social media or podcasts.
Americans with a college degree are more likely than those without one to get news from certain platforms, including news websites and apps or podcasts. People with less education, meanwhile, are more likely than college graduates to get news from TV.
There are few to no differences between Democrats’ and Republicans’ use of news platforms. But partisanship plays a much larger role in the specific organizations and outlets people go to for news.
Find out more
This fact sheet was compiled by Research Analyst Christopher St. Aubin and Research Assistant Joanne Haner.
Follow these links for related research:
- Social Media and News Fact Sheet (Oct. 19, 2026)
- What types of news do Americans seek out or happen to come across? (April 20, 2026)
- Local News Fact Sheet (April 14, 2026)
- Where do Americans turn first for information about breaking news? (March 24, 2026)
- Email Newsletters as a Source of News (Feb. 19, 2026)
- Americans’ Complicated Relationship With News (Feb. 11, 2026)
- Young Adults and the Future of News (Dec. 3, 2025)
- Americans are following the news less closely than they used to (Dec. 3, 2025)
- When Americans get news from TV, what do they mean? (Nov. 20, 2025)
- More Americans prefer to watch the news than read or listen to it (Nov. 20, 2025)
- News Influencers Fact Sheet (Nov. 4, 2025)
- Podcasts and News Fact Sheet (Sept. 25, 2025)
- News Media Tracker: How Americans Use and Trust News Sources (June 10, 2025)
- What Is News? (May 13, 2025)
- Podcasts as a Source of News and Information (April 18, 2023)
Check out our other publications related to news platforms and sources.