All the news that’s fit to post: A profile of news use on social networking sites

Facebook and other social networking sites (SNSs)1 are altering the way individuals communicate. These online environments allow users to keep up with friends, network with colleagues, and share their personal views and observations with others. Previous work describes typical social networking site users as young, extroverted, and technologically savvy. Little research exists, however, on the emerging role of news in the social network environment. With over 500 million global Facebook users, both print and television based media outlets are making concerted efforts to become part of this important and increasingly ubiquitous virtual world. The present study uses a sample of students, faculty, and staff from a large university to investigate the factors that are related to news use on Facebook. Findings indicate that while news use is still a minor component of overall social network site activity, certain key variables, such as gender and life satisfaction, have a significant impact on how Facebook is used for news-related purposes. Future implications for news in the social networking world are presented and discussed.

► Survey of 1050 respondents at a large Midwestern university about their Facebook use.
► We focus specifically on how users access this web site for news and public affairs information.
► News use is not a major component of overall social network site activity.
► Gender and life satisfaction have a significant impact on how Facebook is used for news-related purposes.