Politics was the leading topic in the US among news influencers in 2024

According to a study by Pew Research, posts relating to the presidential election or the government far outstrip those about social issues or international news

By AFPRelaxnews

Published: Nov 22, 2024 11:07:37 AM IST

Updated: Nov 22, 2024 11:08:04 AM IST

This study highlights the growing importance of news influencers in the media landscape Image: Shutterstock

Politics has emerged as the most talked-about topic among news influencers on social networks in the United States. According to a study by Pew Research, posts relating to the presidential election or the government far outstrip those about social issues or international news.

Politics is clearly a subject of interest to news influencers in the USA. Of all the posts by 500 American popular news influencers analyzed over three separate weeks in July and August, 43 percent were found to be about current events or civic issues, according to a study by Pew Research.*

And of these, more than half (55 percent) were about politics, government or the presidential election. The first assassination attempt on Donald Trump (5 percent), the Democratic National Convention (4 percent), the Republican National Convention (3 percent) and Joe Biden's withdrawal from the race for the White House (2 percent) were among the most cited topics. For 58 percent of news influencers, politics, government or elections were the most frequently discussed topics.

As well as talking about politics in general, posts also focused on social issues, notably abortion (18 percent), and international news (14 percent). The war between Israel and Hamas accounted for 7 percent of posts.

Interestingly, the distribution of topics varied by platform. The situation in the Middle East was discussed more on Instagram than on any other platform (14 percent of posts on Instagram, compared to 8 percent of posts on X), while US politics was discussed less often on Instagram than on other sites. In contrast, politics and elections were particularly present in posts on YouTube (68 percent).

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This study highlights the growing importance of news influencers in the media landscape. Their ability to capture attention on political and social topics shows that they play a crucial role in disseminating information and shaping public opinion. At a time when social networks are becoming essential sources of news and information, it is vital to understand how these content creators influence the perception of political and social events.

Indeed, news influencers are no longer content to share the latest trends or moments from everyday life. They have become major players in the political sphere, capable of mobilizing massive audiences on crucial topics. Evidence of this trend can be found in Apple Podcasts' latest rankings, in which pro-Trump shows visibly stood out in 2024.

*The Pew Research report analyzed more than 100,000 posts from 500 news influencers over three distinct weeks in 2024: July 15-21, July 29-August 4 and August 19-25.