Harry Enten: Social Media's Shift as a News Source - CNN Data Analysis
CNNNovember 5, 20253 min97,532 views
5 connectionsΒ·8 entities in this videoβShifting Demographics in Social Media News Consumption
- π A significant trend shows Republicans are now more likely to get their news from social media than Democrats.
- π In 2021, 52% of Democrats and 45% of Republicans used social media for news; by this year, it's 55% of Republicans compared to 52% of Democrats.
- π This represents a ten-point climb for Republicans over the last four years, while Democrats have remained steady.
Twitter/X's Political Transformation
- π¦ Twitter/X has experienced a monumental political shift, moving from a platform where Democrats were more likely to be users to one dominated by Republicans.
- π In 2021, Democrats were 37 points more likely to identify as Democrats on Twitter than Republicans; now, Republicans hold a 14-point lead.
- π€― This marks a 51-point shift in the margin on the platform, reflecting visible changes in user feeds.
Alternative Platforms and Their Reach
- π¬ While some users on the left have migrated to platforms like Bluesky and Threads, their user numbers are minuscule compared to Twitter/X.
- π In 2025, 21% of Americans use Twitter/X, while Threads is at 8% and Bluesky at 4%.
- π’ The combined user base of Threads and Bluesky is only about half the size of Twitter/X's, meaning Twitter/X retains a much larger megaphone for its user base.
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Social Media NewsCNNHarry EntenRepublicansDemocratsTwitterXElon MuskThreadsBlueskyPolitical DemographicsNews Consumption
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