Title: What Facebook and Twitter Mean for News | Pew Research Center
Headings: What Facebook and Twitter Mean for News
What Facebook and Twitter Mean for News
Facebook and Twitter Are Still Relatively Small Drivers for News
Between the Two Social Media Options, Facebook Leads
But There is No Primary Digital Device for Social Media News
Social Networks at This Point Are Mostly an Additional Way to Get News, Rather Than a Replacement Source
Twitter and Facebook Function Differently as News Sources
Consumers Are More Likely to See Facebook News as Replaceable
Twitter News Followers Are More Mobile
Who Twitter and Facebook News Users Are
About the Survey

Content: Despite debates about defining “active users,” there is little question about the site’s popularity or its “stickiness,” the degree to which some users are there a lot: Facebook users spent an average of 423 minutes each on the site in December. By contrast, a PEJ analysis of Nielsen Net View data puts the average time on a top 25 news site at just under 12 minutes per month. Even in 2010, all but one of those top news sites, with the exception being Google News, obtained a portion of their traffic from Facebook. And in 2011, Facebook furthered the news element of its platform with developments like the Social Reader, which allows users to follow, read and share news without ever leaving the network. How much are consumers relying on Facebook for their daily news information, especially in comparison with using search or going directly to news websites or apps? And when they do get news on these networks, does it come from friends and family or from news organizations they follow? And finally, how is this news viewed? A new survey released as part of this year’s annual State of the News Media Report probes news consumption and habits on different digital devices, including how news consumers use social media. The broader findings are covered in a companion special report on mobile devices.