Political news can be a broad topic that includes anything from the latest polls to coverage of an event or debate. It can also include political humor or commentary. Some examples of this can be found on Twitter or YouTube. It is important for democracy that people are aware of and engaged in the politics that impact them on a daily basis.
In general, nearly identical shares of Americans say they follow national and local government and politics news very or somewhat closely. However, a larger share of Americans says they are extremely or very interested in news about national elections than in their own local laws and policies.
In addition to traditional news outlets, many U.S. adults get their news on social media. The largest shares of Americans say they regularly get news on Facebook and YouTube. A smaller share says they regularly get news on Instagram, TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), Rumble, Truth Social and Bluesky. As a result, younger adults are more likely than older ones to say they get their local political news on social media. However, even among those who say they get their local political news on social sites, most still say they also read the newspaper and watch TV. This suggests that some of the reliance on social media for local political news may be temporary.