The social Web is a source of news for many, study finds

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An increasing number of users are looking to social media to find out what’s happening in the world, a new study from Pew Internet has found.

According to Pew, which surveyed more than 2,200 adults between December and January, 92% of Americans use multiple platforms to find their news. In fact, 46% say they go to four to six different media platforms, including TV, newspapers and the Web, to see what’s happening.

In the process, news gathering is becoming an increasingly social act. Pew said 72% of Americans follow the news to discuss it with others. That contributes heavily to the dissemination of news online. A whopping 75% of those who read the news online receive updates by e-mail or through social networks. After reading the news, 52% say they share it with others through social sites.

As important as social networks have become for finding news, not everyone is happy about it. Pew found that 70% of Americans believe ‘the amount of news and information available from different sources today is overwhelming.’

So, although it’s certainly easier to find the news online, it seems that sheer availability is causing some to wish for less noise.

-- Don Reisinger
twitter.com/donreisinger