58% of Adults Rely on Social Media for Election Night Coverage

A recent Pew Research Center survey found that 58% of U.S. adults view social media as a key means of staying current with the news cycle. Approximately 13% indicated that social media is their most important source for news. These figures mark a sharp increase from 2022, when 43% of Americans rated social media as an important news source and only 5% called it the most important.

The data informs a major shift in how election results will be reported this Tuesday. Dozens of independent journalists, often referred to as creators, are launching parallel coverage streams to compete with traditional television networks. These digital initiatives aim to capture audiences and generate revenue through subscriptions and advertising.

Scott MacFarlane, who previously anchored election coverage at CBS News, will host a livestream for the progressive outlet MeidasTouch starting at 7 p.m. Tuesday. He will join former MSNBC host Katie Phang for the broadcast. MacFarlane stated that he will speak unscripted without a teleprompter, telling viewers directly what is happening.

Former NBC News political director Chuck Todd and colleague Chris Cillizza will host a live stream titled The Projection. The program will air on YouTube, X, Substack, Decision Desk HQ’s Votes portal, and Noosphere. Piers Morgan, whose company Uncensored received millions in funding last year, is traveling from London to host several nights of coverage from Washington, D.C.

Jim Acosta and Katie Couric will team up for a live stream from the University of Virginia. They have secured guests including Rahm Emanuel, Pete Buttigieg, and Tara Setmayer. Don Lemon will host a show in a New York City bar, featuring guests such as Joy Reid and Hunter Biden. CSPAN plans to simulcast coverage from The Young Turks and conservative commentator Patrick Bet-David.

Acosta described his show as Murdoch-Ellison-free coverage, referencing the ownership structures of Fox News and the newly formed Skydance. He said he and Couric are free to let the broadcast run without corporate constraints. Couric noted that they can speak more freely than when they worked for NBC and CBS.

Rashida Jones, who became CEO of Piers Morgan’s company in March after leading MSNBC, said the election event serves as a precursor to future audience trends. She stated that advertisers were eager to sponsor Morgan’s shows from Washington. Jones believes a strong Election Night performance will generate new audiences and business for the platform.

Legacy media outlets are also adapting to the digital landscape. Fox Nation will air a three-hour live special led by the team behind the Ruthless podcast. Josh Holmes, a co-host, said the team will supplement Fox News coverage by providing an under-the-hood look at serious topics. NBC News is launching its first vertical-video program led by anchor Gadi Schwartz, who will report from Texas.

Catherine Kim, NBC News’ executive vice president of editorial, said the vertical program will adopt a conversational approach. The content will appear on the company’s social media feeds and Schwartz’ personal accounts. Holmes said the Ruthless team will not compete with the main Fox News broadcast led by Bret Baier, Martha MacCallum, and Bill Hemmer.

Couric and Acosta said their experience in legacy media gave them a built-in audience for their digital platform. They plan to intersect their respective fan bases on Election Night. Couric said they will dress more casually than in previous network broadcasts, and Acosta mentioned there might be an open bar.