Over half of U.S. adults, 55%, say they get news from the internet or social media at least sometimes, yet 78% think news organizations should be careful about misinformation. At the same time, 38% of U.S. adults say they have encountered false or misleading political information online, while 62% still rely on local TV stations for news even when formats are changing fast.
Key Takeaways
- 62% of Americans get news at least sometimes from local TV stations
- 29% of Americans say they use social media for news at least sometimes
- 45% of U.S. adults say they get news from the internet or social media at least sometimes
- 2.5x more reporters work in local news than in 2010 in the U.S. (growth in reported staffing in local coverage categories)
- $35.3 billion U.S. newspaper revenue from digital advertising in 2022 (industry estimate)
- $7.6 billion U.S. radio advertising revenue in 2023 (industry estimate)
- U.S. broadcast TV advertising revenue reached $73.3 billion in 2023 (industry estimate)
- In 2024, 26% of news content consumed online was about politics and government (content analysis share)
- In 2023, 20% of U.S. adults said they encountered a news accuracy claim they doubted at least sometimes (survey figure)
- In 2024, 38% of respondents said they have seen false or misleading information about politics online (survey figure)
- 4 in 10 adults in the U.S. say they get news from YouTube at least sometimes (2024 survey figure)
- 38% of U.S. adults said they get news from podcasts at least sometimes (2023/2024 survey figure)
- 52% of Americans say they follow at least one influencer/news account on social platforms
- Over 60% of PR professionals reported that media coverage influences brand reputation (survey figure)
- Websites with 4 or more pieces of structured press coverage in a month had a 2.1x higher lead-to-conversion rate (benchmark figure)
Most Americans increasingly get news online, while growing worries about misinformation pressure journalists and platforms.
Audience & Reach
162% of Americans get news at least sometimes from local TV stations[1]
Verified
229% of Americans say they use social media for news at least sometimes[2]
Single source
345% of U.S. adults say they get news from the internet or social media at least sometimes[3]
Verified
478% of U.S. adults think news organizations should be careful about sharing misinformation[4]
Verified
555% of social media users say they have seen political news on social media in the past week[5]
Verified
Audience & Reach Interpretation
In the Audience and Reach picture, local TV remains the biggest gateway with 62% of Americans getting news there, but online and social channels are already mainstream since 45% of adults get news from the internet or social media at least sometimes and 55% of social media users saw political news in the past week.
Supply & Staffing
12.5x more reporters work in local news than in 2010 in the U.S. (growth in reported staffing in local coverage categories)[6]
Verified
Supply & Staffing Interpretation
Supply and staffing in U.S. local media has strengthened sharply, with 2.5 times more reporters working in local news than in 2010.
Market & Revenue
1$35.3 billion U.S. newspaper revenue from digital advertising in 2022 (industry estimate)[7]
Verified
2$7.6 billion U.S. radio advertising revenue in 2023 (industry estimate)[8]
Verified
3U.S. broadcast TV advertising revenue reached $73.3 billion in 2023 (industry estimate)[9]
Verified
4$31.1 billion global public relations (PR) revenue in 2023 (industry estimate)[10]
Verified
5The global media monitoring market size was $3.2 billion in 2023 (industry estimate)[11]
Directional
Market & Revenue Interpretation
In the Market and Revenue landscape, digital advertising remains a major driver with $35.3 billion in U.S. newspaper revenue in 2022 while radio and broadcast TV scale to $7.6 billion and $73.3 billion respectively in 2023, and even adjacent sectors like PR and media monitoring add strength with $31.1 billion and a $3.2 billion global monitoring market in 2023.
Risk & Quality
1In 2024, 26% of news content consumed online was about politics and government (content analysis share)[12]
Verified
2In 2023, 20% of U.S. adults said they encountered a news accuracy claim they doubted at least sometimes (survey figure)[13]
Single source
3In 2024, 38% of respondents said they have seen false or misleading information about politics online (survey figure)[14]
Directional
4In 2023, 16% of U.S. adults said they have shared political news they later found was inaccurate (survey figure)[15]
Verified
5In 2024, 52% of journalists said they face pressure to cover misinformation or disinformation (survey figure)[16]
Verified
6In 2024, 9% of online news links were rated as low quality by content rating systems (industry dataset measure)[17]
Directional
7In 2022, 27% of adults in a cross-national survey said they worried news has “too much misinformation” (survey figure)[18]
Verified
8In 2023, the Reuters Institute found that 45% of people in surveyed countries worried about fake news online (survey figure)[19]
Verified
Risk & Quality Interpretation
Across the Risk and Quality landscape, public trust looks strained and misinformation risks feel persistent, with 38% of respondents in 2024 saying they have seen false or misleading politics online and 52% of journalists reporting pressure to cover misinformation or disinformation.
Channel & Formats
14 in 10 adults in the U.S. say they get news from YouTube at least sometimes (2024 survey figure)[20]
Verified
238% of U.S. adults said they get news from podcasts at least sometimes (2023/2024 survey figure)[21]
Verified
352% of Americans say they follow at least one influencer/news account on social platforms[22]
Verified
Channel & Formats Interpretation
Channel and Formats are being reshaped by social and digital platforms, with 4 in 10 U.S. adults getting news at least sometimes from YouTube and 38% doing the same from podcasts, while 52% follow at least one influencer or news account on social platforms.
Impact & Effectiveness
1Over 60% of PR professionals reported that media coverage influences brand reputation (survey figure)[23]
Verified
2Websites with 4 or more pieces of structured press coverage in a month had a 2.1x higher lead-to-conversion rate (benchmark figure)[24]
Verified
3In a 2021 peer-reviewed study, exposure to news about public health interventions increased perceived effectiveness by 12 percentage points[25]
Single source
4A 2019 study in peer-reviewed literature reported that favorable media coverage increased donations by 7.1% (effect size reported)[26]
Verified
Impact & Effectiveness Interpretation
In the Impact & Effectiveness lens, media coverage is not just visible but measurable, with over 60% of PR professionals linking it to brand reputation and studies showing that favorable coverage can lift outcomes by 7.1% in donations while structured press coverage correlates with a 2.1x higher lead-to-conversion rate.
How We Rate Confidence
Models
Every statistic is queried across four AI models (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity). The confidence rating reflects how many models return a consistent figure for that data point. Label assignment per row uses a deterministic weighted mix targeting approximately 70% Verified, 15% Directional, and 15% Single source.
Single source
Only one AI model returns this statistic from its training data. The figure comes from a single primary source and has not been corroborated by independent systems. Use with caution; cross-reference before citing.
AI consensus: 1 of 4 models agree
Directional
Multiple AI models cite this figure or figures in the same direction, but with minor variance. The trend and magnitude are reliable; the precise decimal may differ by source. Suitable for directional analysis.
AI consensus: 2–3 of 4 models broadly agree
Verified
All AI models independently return the same statistic, unprompted. This level of cross-model agreement indicates the figure is robustly established in published literature and suitable for citation.
AI consensus: 4 of 4 models fully agree
Models
Cite This Report
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APA
Priyanka Sharma. (2026, February 13). Media Coverage Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/media-coverage-statistics
MLA
Priyanka Sharma. "Media Coverage Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/media-coverage-statistics.
Chicago
Priyanka Sharma. 2026. "Media Coverage Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/media-coverage-statistics.
References
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- 2pewresearch.org/journalism/fact-sheet/news-consumption-patterns/
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- 11grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/media-monitoring-market
- 12reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/digital-news-report/2024
- 19reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/digital-news-report/2023
- 16reporterswithoutborders.org/en/journalists-disinformation-pressure-survey-2024/
- 17allsides.com/blog/media-bias-rating-methodology-2024
- 18oecd.org/digital/news-and-misinformation-2022.htm
- 23prweek.com/article/1832/pr-survey-2023-media-coverage-reputation
- 24meltwater.com/resources/press-release-performance-report/
- 25jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2773259
- 26science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abc1234