A fifth of U.S. adults now regularly get news on TikTok, up from just 3% in 2020, making it the fastest-growing platform for news consumption among social media sites studied, according to new research from Pew Research Center.

The platform’s news reach varies dramatically by age. Among adults under 30, 43% now regularly get news on TikTok, up from 9% five years ago. Adults ages 30-49 show similar growth, with 25% now using the platform for news compared to just 2% in 2020. Engagement drops with age, with only 10% of adults 50-64 and 3% of those 65 and older regularly consuming news on the platform.

Among TikTok users specifically, 55% now report regularly getting news on the platform, compared to just 22% in 2020, putting TikTok on par with X, Facebook, and Truth Social for news consumption among their respective user bases.

Image credit: Pew Research Center

Diverse Content Ecosystem

Pew’s analysis reveals that TikTok news consumers receive information from a mix of sources. Among U.S. adults who regularly get news on TikTok, 68% receive information from influencers or celebrities, while 67% get news from traditional media outlets or journalists. The largest segment, 84%, obtains news from individuals unaffiliated with journalism or advocacy organizations.

Content analysis shows that only 5% of followed accounts posted news-related content in their five most recent posts, while 10% shared political content. However, the reach is broader than these figures suggest, with 41% of adult TikTok users following at least five accounts that posted about news.

Hybrid Content Model

The research identifies a hybrid content approach where accounts frequently mix news with entertainment. Of accounts covering news or politics, 43% also posted about entertainment and pop culture, while 36% included humorous content. This blending may explain why users encounter news even when not actively seeking it.

Algorithmic Distribution

TikTok’s algorithm plays a significant role in news exposure. Among TikTok users who regularly get news from news influencers across social media, 28% report not following any news influencers, suggesting algorithmic recommendations contribute to news discovery.

Entertainment remains TikTok’s primary draw, with 95% of users citing it as their reason for using the platform, while 41% mention news consumption as a motivation.

The survey was conducted from August 18-24, 2025, among 5,153 U.S. adults who are members of Pew’s American Trends Panel, a nationally representative sample recruited through random selection of residential addresses.

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