Topics that Americans get news about, by age
% of U.S. adults who say they get news often or extremely often about each of the following topics
Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted March 10-16, 2025.
PEW-KNIGHT INITIATIVE
Topics that Americans get news about, by age
% of U.S. adults who say they get news often or extremely often about each of the following topics
| News topic | Ages 18-29 | 30-49 | 50-64 | 65+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Government and politics | 50% | 55% | 69% | 77% |
| Science and technology | 29 | 30 | 33 | 37 |
| Business and finance | 20 | 27 | 38 | 43 |
| Sports | 24 | 25 | 29 | 30 |
| Entertainment | 32 | 19 | 16 | 13 |
Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted March 10-16, 2025.
PEW-KNIGHT INITIATIVE
News prompts higher levels of confusion, fear among younger adults
% of U.S. adults who say the news they get makes them feel ___ often or extremely often
Note: This chart shows the emotions that at least 25% of U.S. adults expressed feeling often or extremely often. Other emotions asked about were “happy”, “hopeful” and “empowered.”
Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted March 10-16, 2025. For dates of other surveys, refer to the topline.
PEW-KNIGHT INITIATIVE
News prompts higher levels of confusion, fear among younger adults
% of U.S. adults who say the news they get makes them feel ___ often or extremely often
| Feeling | Ages 18-29 | 30-49 | 50-64 | 65+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Informed | 39% | 42% | 48% | 55% |
| Angry | 42 | 45 | 42 | 38 |
| Sad | 39 | 43 | 36 | 35 |
| Scared | 33 | 30 | 23 | 23 |
| Confused | 33 | 26 | 22 | 19 |
Note: This chart shows the emotions that at least 25% of U.S. adults expressed feeling often or extremely often. Other emotions asked about were “happy”, “hopeful” and “empowered.”
Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted March 10-16, 2025. For dates of other surveys, refer to the topline.
PEW-KNIGHT INITIATIVE
Ability to determine true versus false news, by age
% of U.S. adults who say that when they get news, they generally find it …
Note: Respondents who didn’t answer are not shown.
Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted Aug. 18-24, 2025.
PEW-KNIGHT INITIATIVE
Ability to determine true versus false news, by age
% of U.S. adults who say that when they get news, they generally find it …
| Age group | Difficult to determine what is true and what is not | Easy to determine what is true and what is not |
|---|---|---|
| Ages 18-29 | 59% | 40% |
| 30-49 | 52 | 48 |
| 50-64 | 46 | 53 |
| 65+ | 47 | 52 |
Note: Respondents who didn’t answer are not shown.
Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted Aug. 18-24, 2025.
PEW-KNIGHT INITIATIVE
Attachment to local community, by age
% of U.S. adults who say they feel somewhat or very attached to their local community
Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted Jan 22-28, 2024.
PEW-KNIGHT INITIATIVE
Attachment to local community, by age
% of U.S. adults who say they feel somewhat or very attached to their local community
| Age group | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Ages 18-29 | 51% |
| 30-49 | 61 |
| 50-64 | 71 |
| 65+ | 78 |
Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted Jan 22-28, 2024.
PEW-KNIGHT INITIATIVE
