CNN: A new PEW study of 10,658 Americans finds one-fifth of US adults ‘regularly’ receive their news from online ‘news influencers.’ But 37% of young adults aged 18 to 29 do. “A clear majority of news influencers are men (63%).”

“Social media influencers differ from trained journalists in how they report facts, often weaving their own views into current events or presenting opinions as reportable facts. Where news organizations have clearly delineated sections dedicated to reporting and opinion, news influencers often produce single products such as podcasts and newsletters that fail to distinguish the types of information being presented to their audience.”

Influencers online notably lean conservative despite long-standing charges from Republicans that social media sites lean left and censor their views. TikTok somewhat bucks the gender and ideological trends.