Politics has established itself as the subject most covered by influencers covering current events on social networks in the United States. Posts related to the presidential election or the government come far ahead of social issues or international news, according to a Pew Research study.
Politics is obviously of interest to “news influencers”” in the United States. Of all the posts analyzed during three separate weeks last July and August by 500 American influencers, 43% were related to current events, according to a study by Pew Research*.
And among them, more than half (55%) mentioned topics related to politics, government or the presidential election. The first assassination attempt on Donald Trump (5%), the Democratic National Convention (4%), the Republican National Convention (3%) or the withdrawal from the race for the White House of Joe Biden (2%) are among of the most cited topics. For 58% of news influencers, politics, government or elections were the most frequently discussed topics.
Social issues
In addition to talking about politics in general, posts also focused on social issues, including abortion, (18%) and international issues (14%). The war between Israel and Hamas concerned 7% of posts.
Interestingly, the distribution of topics varied across platforms. The situation in the Middle East was discussed more on Instagram than on any other platform (14% of posts on Instagram, compared to 8% of posts on X), while US politics were discussed less often on Instagram than on other sites . On the other hand, politics and elections were particularly present in posts on YouTube (68%).
This study highlights the growing importance of news influencers in the media landscape. Their ability to capture attention on political and societal issues shows that they play a crucial role in the dissemination of information and the formation of public opinion. At a time when social networks are becoming essential sources of information, it is essential to understand how these content creators influence the perception of political and social events.
THE news influencers are no longer content to share ephemeral trends or moments of daily life. They have become major players in the political sphere, capable of mobilizing massive audiences around crucial subjects. According to the latest ranking ofApple Podcastpro-Trump shows visibly stood out in 2024, confirming this trend.
*The Pew Research report analyzed more than 100,000 posts from 500 news influencers during three separate weeks in 2024: July 15-21, July 29-August 4, and August 19-25.
