According to recent studies, social media usage for news consumption has declined globally after peaking in 2020. The Reuters Institute Digital News Report found social media as a news source is down from its 2020 highs but up slightly from 2022.
This trend is largely driven by Facebook’s pullback from news. As Facebook decreased news content in feeds, growth on TikTok, Instagram and other platforms hasn’t fully offset the impact. Top news sites saw a 53% drop in Facebook referrals over 3 years.
Experts note 2020 saw record news consumption amid the pandemic, so declining social media news engagement makes sense. However, new laws are also prompting tech platforms to further retreat from news.
Meta Blocking News
Meta recently blocked news links in Canada after a law passed requiring compensation for publishers. In the U.S., Meta and Google resist similar proposed legislation but take different approaches — although recently Meta threatened to block news in California over similar proposed legislation.
As video platforms like TikTok grow, it remains to be seen if they’ll fill the news consumption role Facebook dominated. But for now, social media’s power as a news gateway is diminishing worldwide.
See more social media news at MySocialMediaNews.com.