Social media has widely overtaken television as a source of news in the US for the first time, according to a comprehensive analysis of media consumption confirming the rapid rise of “news influencers”.

When you look at the moment for the US media, 54% of Americans said they received news from social media, according to the research carried out after President Trump’s second inauguration. Half said they sourced news from the once all-powerful TV networks.

Which is somewhat interesting to half of the viewers across the states.

The accelerating global shift towards social media and video platforms is laid bare in a major study by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, which surveyed almost 100,000 news consumers worldwide.

It reveals a further downward of the influence of traditional news organizations, with more people heading to podcasters, YouTubers, TikTokers, and content creators. The authors warned it is allowing populist politicians such as Trump and Argentina’s Javier Milei to bypass the scrutiny of the transitional media in favor of new, online networks.