Voters Rely on Personal Networks and News Media to Guide Them in 2024 Election Vote

2024 ELECTION NEWS ADVISORY

New Report Shows Voters Rely on Personal Networks and News Media to Guide Them in 2024 Election Vote

CHIP-50 report shows differences based on age and political party 

Expert Available to Comment: Rutgers University-New Brunswick Associate Professor Katherine Ognyanova, Rutgers School of Communication and Information

Here are two quotes from Prof. Ognyanova about the report you can use:

“A lot of our discussions around this election revolved around the candidates' ability to mobilize young people. Our data clearly highlights the vast generational divides in the institutions Americans trust when making electoral choices. Young people rely on their social networks, online and offline. Americans over 65 are twice more likely to rely on news media and party nominations compared to those under 25.”

“We are often concerned about the lack of local news and emerging news deserts. Still, close to a third of the residents in New Jersey reported they were satisfied with local news about politics and government -- our state is among the top 10 on that parameter.”

How do people decide who gets their vote?

Americans rely primarily on personal networks and news media for voting information, according to a new report from the Civic Health and Institutions Project (CHIP50).

The National Science Foundation-funded effort examined the sources of 2024 election information in the US. and found the following:

• Younger adults and those with less formal education turned to friends and family for election information, while older, wealthier, and more educated individuals favor news outlets.
• Preferences differ across political affiliations, with Democrats and Independents more often choosing news media, while Republicans tend to select personal networks.
• New Jersey has the seventh highest satisfaction with local political journalism from all states, with 30% saying they are very or extremely satisfied.
• Reported satisfaction with local political news varies widely, with higher satisfaction levels among Black respondents, Democrats, and urban residents. People in Washington, D.C. and New York report the highest satisfaction with local news, while Montana and Idaho score highest on dissatisfaction.

The full report can be accessed here:

https://www.chip50.org/reports/2024-us-elections-sources-of-news-and-information