Survey: Fox News, CNN lead 'traditional' sources for election news

(The Center Square) - As the country gets unlimited access to information on the 2024 presidential election, a Pew Research survey shows that Americans list 10 varying sources showcasing the vastly different ways to consume news.

With Election Day approaching, several news organizations have refused to endorse either candidate, resulting in backlash from some readers and nearly 250,000 cancellations for The Washington Post alone. Pew Research asked 8,000 open-ended questions about preferred news sources, and a majority answered Fox News or CNN.

Fox News (13%) and CNN (10%) were first and second in the survey where 32% got their news in places other than those two, local news, other national TV networks, NPR, The New York Times, and the social media platform X.

The sampling found 22% of individuals ages 65 or older chose Fox compared to the 5% of those under age 30. The CNN number was a drop from 14% in 2021.

There was 17% with no main source for election news or a preference not to answer.

Pew Research Center conducted this analysis and surveyed 9,680 adults from Sept. 16-22.

Eighty-four percent of those who watch CNN say it's part of the mainstream media, compared to the 5% who say it is not. Similarly, 61% of those who chose Fox News said it is part of mainstream media, compared to the 28% who say it is not.

The September survey asked Americans whether they think their choice for political news is part of the "mainstream media."

The survey states that Democrats are more likely to say their choice of a news source is part of the mainstream media compared to Republican leaning.

Of those who said NPR was their main news source, 19% say it is not part of the mainstream media. Meanwhile, 57% of those who said local TV was their main source of political news see it as mainstream media, compared to 8% who disagree.

Thirty-four percent are not sure if their local TV news station is part of mainstream media.