Public turned to social media for election news

Now that the presidential race has come to an end, I want to reflect on the role social media played in informing the public this past election. 
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Like many, I watched the contest with a great deal of interest. Both candidates and their positions fascinated me, and as a
marketing communications specialist
​I'm intrigued by the way in which people gather news and information. ​​

So, I was struck by the Pew Research Center's findings that 14 percent of adults were drawn to social media for election coverage. In fact, social media was the second highest source for such reports after cable TV (24 percent). This is coupled with the fact that Pew determined 62 percent of American adults receive other types of news on social media, and 18 percent do so often. 

I’m among those that used social media to learn about the presidential contest. I “like” several news/media organizations – including The New York Times, The Daily Beast, Salon, and Politico – and these outlets frequently posted election material. I read several such articles daily, and I often forwarded the most interesting items to others. 
 
As I’ve mentioned in my previous posts, I use Facebook as a content aggregator, and turning to the platform for information about presidential politics is one example of my doing that. I find the site a convenient way to distill various information, and I’ve found my habit has only increased since I purchased my first smart phone two years and downloaded the Facebook application. 
 
During the election, I was on Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton’s websites only a handful of times. Why? These platforms were obviously biased toward that candidate, and I prefer a more balanced approach to the way in which I consume material. I also appreciate commentary along with content – I wanted to understand the larger implications of dispatches and how it might impact the outcome of the election, such as Clinton’s emails and Trump’s tweets.

As social media and technology continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see how both the public and I will consume news during future presidential races. Would you believe the countdown had already begun for 2020? Only 1,452 days until election day!