6 trends for political media ahead of the 2024 US Presidential Election

American politics is a good lens for studying how communication changes. President Franklin D. Roosevelt spoke to the country directly in the 1930s on the radio, in a series dubbed “fireside chats.” In 1960, then-candidate John F. Kennedy made an impression on America during the first televised debate ever, with many believing this helped him eventually get elected. 

Social media first played a role in 2008 during the first Obama campaign, when 3 million of his Facebook “friends” catapulted him to victory, while Donald Trump’s X account was a focal point of his rise in 2016 (and his defeat in 2020).

So, how will things look in 2024? Here are the 6 trends in political media & news consumption ahead of the US election that you need to know about:

1. Social media is Gen Z’s go-to
2. Political influencers are a force to be reckoned with
3. YouTube, X, and TikTok are key platforms
4. Americans are tired of attack ads – they want to know the basics
5. Social media is fighting an uphill trust battle
6. TV news is the winner – for now

Social media is Gen Z’s go-to

TV news is still the number one way to consume news overall in the US, and projected ad spend analysis reflects this, with linear TV set to take up around 70% of total ad spend. 

But digital spend is projected to increase 156% from the last election in 2020, and for good reason – social media is the preferred source of political info for Gen Z.

US Gen Z are 58% more likely to consume political info on social media than they are on TV.

Both presidential candidates seem to have a social media strategy designed to appeal to Gen Z voters. VP Kamala Harris and her team have incorporated memes into their strategy, like “brat summer” and “coconut tree,” while former President Donald Trump recently completed a 2-hour interview on X with Elon Musk. 

This is a long time coming. With many Gen Z having reached voting age, social media will continue to play a more prominent role in the 2024 election, and beyond.

Even with social media primed to eventually be the go-to channel for news, there are still many knowledge gaps for candidates and parties when it comes to really understanding what voters want to see on social media, but we’re here to shed some light.

The rise of political influencers

Interestingly, official candidate and party accounts don’t feature in the top 3 places US Gen Z have seen political content, despite their recent efforts. Verified news accounts (think legacy newspapers and TV networks, e.g. The New York Times and CNN) are #1 across all US generations. Even with low trust in social media content and platforms, the brand name and fact-verification processes of these accounts catapult them to the top.

What comes after is more interesting. Unverified news accounts, often run by independent creators, are popular with Gen Z – ranking in the top four for other generations. However, these accounts do not undergo the fact-checking processes of verified sources and may introduce bias, potentially contributing to the echo chamber effect observed on social media.

Gen Z are also consuming political content from political influencers. These individuals have been recognized by both Republicans and Democrats, giving creators press credentials and spaces for interviews with big name officials. 

At the same time, Gen Z also consume political content from influencers who don’t focus on politics. Influencers are a crucial part of Gen Z’s lives, and they count on them for more than just entertainment and product reviews. In fact, more Gen Z expect social media influencers to make public statements on social issues (34%) than they do news organizations (33%). 

Official candidate and party accounts are outside of Gen Z’s top sources for political info on social media, despite recent efforts to get them on board. But getting their content on news accounts and with influencers (political or not) can get their party’s message in front of a Gen Z audience. With Gen Z’s expectation for social media influencers to speak up on social issues, brands who want to remain apolitical should tread carefully when it comes to influencer partnerships – or embrace this trend if they do want to take social stances.

YouTube, X, and TikTok will be key platforms this election

Political content from news accounts and influencers can be found on any social media platform, but users log onto each platform with different mindsets and expectations.

Back in July 2024, YouTube came out on top as consumers’ go-to platform for political content worldwide, and that’s true in the US as well. But other platforms are increasingly being used as a news source since the last election.

Of social media platforms, X (formerly Twitter) has the highest percentage of users logging on to keep up with the news, and that’s remained stable since the last election. 

The standout platform here is TikTok, with a 61% increase in Americans who go to the video app for news. Although the app has seen rapid growth in the last four years, TikTok far outpaces social media as a whole for being a news destination. Americans log onto the app expecting funny and creative content, but when it comes to political content, they prefer to see information like policy information and figures. 

Social media managers for official candidate and party accounts have the tough job of making digestible content while highlighting some serious topics. But making a lasting impression on social media will be key to persuading voters during this election.

Americans strive for informative posts, not attacks

American politicians are notorious for airing attack ads on their opposition. An analysis of the ads aired during the 2016 US election found the majority of ads were negative (for both Democrats and Republicans), and further research shows that no one knows which ads are effective or not.

Our Zeitgeist research shows only 24% of Americans 18+ like to see criticism of the opposition on social media ads. Instead, they’re much more interested in seeing facts & figures (54%), policy details (52%), and different perspectives on issues (49%). In an election that’s predicted to be very close, resonating with undecided voters is crucial, and they’re telling us that they just want the facts.

A majority of Americans say clear and concise info would make them engage with political content on social media more.

There are also generational differences for the type of content desired on social media. Gen Z are 49% more likely than the average American 18+ to want to see interactive elements like games and simulators, while millennials are keen to see celebrity endorsements, which the RNC and DNC was chock full of. 

Social media is fighting an uphill trust battle

We highlighted the media’s trust problem last year, and to this day, social media is the least trusted institution in the United States. Only 14% say they trust social media platforms a lot or completely, including only 18% of Gen Z – the generation most influenced by social media are still wary of what they’re seeing. 

Misinformation is rampant on social media, especially in the age of AI and a lack of widespread fact verification. Even if social media platforms were to start implementing fact-checking verification, it might be met with some skepticism. Only 15% of Americans trust social media platforms themselves to provide accurate fact checks, perhaps a reason why verified news accounts that have their own fact-checking measures are the most consumed political accounts on social media. 

Americans are 27% more likely than the average global consumer to trust independent fact-checking organizations to provide accurate fact-checks.

Another reason for low trust in social media is the fact nearly 80% of Americans think it contributes to social tension. 

While it’s certainly an uphill battle for social media companies to earn trust back, the path forward is clear. Gen Z, the biggest users of social media, are 128% more likely than the average American to trust social media platforms to accurately fact-check their information. Americans also trust independent fact-checking organizations like Snopes, so a partnership with such an organization can help bring some trust back.

TV is still on top

Even with more efforts from social media companies to fact check posts, the clear winner in the trust wars is TV news. Americans 18+ are 141% more trusting of TV news to accurately provide fact-check info than social media, and is the most trusted source overall. 

Americans’ choice of TV news channels will heavily depend on their political leanings – Republicans will gravitate towards Fox News while Democrats will likely tune into MSNBC or CNN. But TV is the home for debates, election night coverage, and everything in between. Brands looking to stay more politically neutral might want to focus their ads on Freeform, TruTV, Animal Planet, and FX – TV channels that are enjoyed by Democrats and Republicans alike.

Of course, Americans will likely be tuning into TV news while on another device; 58% of TV news watchers in the US browse social media when watching TV. During major political events, we’ll surely see an uptick in discussion on X, views on YouTube, and scrolls on TikTok. TV news stations should lean into this with, on screen reminders for viewers to follow along on social media as they watch the news. It’s likely social media will eventually become the go-to for news as Gen Z ages, but for now, TV will be the hub for politics in the United States.

The final comment: what you need to know

With Gen Z preferring social media news to TV news, and a triple-digit increase in digital ad spend this election cycle, it’s safe to say that social media news needs to be taken seriously. There are many voters in the US that can be swayed for either party, and the right social media ad can do the trick.

Platforms like YouTube, X, and TikTok are primed for influence, but candidates should consider airing honest ads that lay out policy details alongside facts and figures, over ads that attack the opponent. 

TV news still reigns supreme, and even if social media does see an uptick on election night, scrollers will likely have the TV on at the same time. The media still has a trust problem, especially social media, but Americans seem to favor TV news for now.

The global media landscape in 2024

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