A Neglected — Yet Ever More Vital — Indicator of Voting Choices
Many analyses of election results overlook a crucial factor influencing voting behavior: the sources of news that inform voters.
TroibNews 
The political landscape often emphasizes shifts in voting behavior among demographic groups, such as Latinos, young men, non-college-educated white individuals, and suburban women. However, a crucial factor influencing political behavior—media consumption—often goes unnoticed, despite significant changes in the way information is disseminated over the past decade.
While exit polls do not encompass media consumption, we can observe indirect indicators. NBC conducted a study in April with President Joe Biden still in the race, featuring striking results: among those who relied on “newspapers” for news, Biden had a commanding lead at 70-21, whereas Trump was ahead 55-39 among those who favored “YouTube/Google.”
Recent exit polls indicated notable changes in voting trends, particularly among young individuals and Latinos, two groups that consume media differently than the national average. Biden won 60-36 among 18- to 21-year-olds, compared to Harris's tighter margin of 55-42. There has been a significant shift in media consumption habits among young people; only 3 percent of seniors rely on social media for news, contrasted with 46 percent of 18- to 29-year-olds.
Trump garnered 45 percent of the Latino vote in 2024, up from 32 percent in 2020. Notably, Hispanic individuals tend to utilize social media more than their white counterparts, as indicated by a PRRI survey. The growing trend of sourcing news from social media is likely a more prominent factor in the 2024 election than it was in 2020. This is partially attributed to a new wave of voters who grew up with social media, coinciding with the predominantly young Latino demographic. The percentage of adults who obtained news from YouTube soared from 23 percent in 2020 to 32 percent in 2024, while TikTok usage for news surged from 3 percent to 17 percent.
The characteristics of these platforms have evolved as well, with a heightened reliance on them for news. According to Pew Research Center, the proportion of regular Instagram users who got their news from the platform rose from 28 percent in 2020 to 40 percent in 2024, and TikTok users relying on the app for news jumped from 22 percent to 52 percent in the same timeframe.
Another significant shift occurred with X (formerly Twitter), where its owner decidedly backed one candidate, altering the platform's political dynamics. It’s also noteworthy that men and women often turn to different news sources: most women prefer TikTok, while young men gravitate towards YouTube, Twitter, and Reddit, according to Pew. This distinction highlights differing information consumption patterns, yet much less is understood about the credibility of news on platforms like Reddit and YouTube compared to traditional outlets.
Some Trump supporters view the reorganization of media consumption as a beneficial development, claiming it allows for more unfiltered information. Elon Musk even proclaimed, “Legacy media is dead. Long live citizen journalism!” However, there are significant concerns around social media, where the likelihood of encountering misinformation is greater, and traditional news sources often provide a more accurate understanding of current events. Studies conducted in 2020 indicated that people relying on social media for news tended to be less informed. The implications of this trend for 2024 warrant further investigation.
Two overarching factors contribute to these changes: the rise of social media and the decline of local news. Over the past two decades, we've seen a one-third reduction in local newspapers and a 60 percent decrease in reporters, resulting in a significant vacuum filled by partisan news outlets and social media.
While issues such as inflation and immigration undoubtedly play essential roles in voter decision-making, understanding the implications of changing media consumption patterns is paramount for making sense of the election outcomes. The decline of local news has undoubtedly shifted the political landscape, and it is vital that we recognize how this influences voter behavior.
James del Carmen contributed to this report for TROIB News
While exit polls do not encompass media consumption, we can observe indirect indicators. NBC conducted a study in April with President Joe Biden still in the race, featuring striking results: among those who relied on “newspapers” for news, Biden had a commanding lead at 70-21, whereas Trump was ahead 55-39 among those who favored “YouTube/Google.”
Recent exit polls indicated notable changes in voting trends, particularly among young individuals and Latinos, two groups that consume media differently than the national average. Biden won 60-36 among 18- to 21-year-olds, compared to Harris's tighter margin of 55-42. There has been a significant shift in media consumption habits among young people; only 3 percent of seniors rely on social media for news, contrasted with 46 percent of 18- to 29-year-olds.
Trump garnered 45 percent of the Latino vote in 2024, up from 32 percent in 2020. Notably, Hispanic individuals tend to utilize social media more than their white counterparts, as indicated by a PRRI survey. The growing trend of sourcing news from social media is likely a more prominent factor in the 2024 election than it was in 2020. This is partially attributed to a new wave of voters who grew up with social media, coinciding with the predominantly young Latino demographic. The percentage of adults who obtained news from YouTube soared from 23 percent in 2020 to 32 percent in 2024, while TikTok usage for news surged from 3 percent to 17 percent.
The characteristics of these platforms have evolved as well, with a heightened reliance on them for news. According to Pew Research Center, the proportion of regular Instagram users who got their news from the platform rose from 28 percent in 2020 to 40 percent in 2024, and TikTok users relying on the app for news jumped from 22 percent to 52 percent in the same timeframe.
Another significant shift occurred with X (formerly Twitter), where its owner decidedly backed one candidate, altering the platform's political dynamics. It’s also noteworthy that men and women often turn to different news sources: most women prefer TikTok, while young men gravitate towards YouTube, Twitter, and Reddit, according to Pew. This distinction highlights differing information consumption patterns, yet much less is understood about the credibility of news on platforms like Reddit and YouTube compared to traditional outlets.
Some Trump supporters view the reorganization of media consumption as a beneficial development, claiming it allows for more unfiltered information. Elon Musk even proclaimed, “Legacy media is dead. Long live citizen journalism!” However, there are significant concerns around social media, where the likelihood of encountering misinformation is greater, and traditional news sources often provide a more accurate understanding of current events. Studies conducted in 2020 indicated that people relying on social media for news tended to be less informed. The implications of this trend for 2024 warrant further investigation.
Two overarching factors contribute to these changes: the rise of social media and the decline of local news. Over the past two decades, we've seen a one-third reduction in local newspapers and a 60 percent decrease in reporters, resulting in a significant vacuum filled by partisan news outlets and social media.
While issues such as inflation and immigration undoubtedly play essential roles in voter decision-making, understanding the implications of changing media consumption patterns is paramount for making sense of the election outcomes. The decline of local news has undoubtedly shifted the political landscape, and it is vital that we recognize how this influences voter behavior.
James del Carmen contributed to this report for TROIB News
