One in five American adults regularly gets news on TikTok, according to an October 19 analysis from Pew Research Center. The 20% share is unchanged from 2025, although it is substantially above the 3% recorded in 2020.
Among adults ages 18–29, 39% say they regularly get news on the platform. The figures are 25% among those ages 30–49, 11% among those ages 50–64 and 4% among adults 65 and older.
A distribution opportunity, with limits
The findings show that TikTok remains a significant place to encounter news, particularly for younger adults. They do not show another year of overall growth, establish that TikTok is respondents’ primary news source or measure the accuracy of what users encounter.
Pew surveyed 5,166 U.S. adults August 24–30, 2026, through its American Trends Panel, with weighting designed to represent the adult population.
For radio and television newsrooms, the practical question is how short video supports a lasting audience relationship. Clear attribution, useful reporting and links to fuller coverage give viewers a reason to recognize the newsroom behind a clip.