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The reaction on Twitter to major political events and policy decisions often differs a great deal from public opinion as measured by surveys. This is the conclusion of a year-long Pew Research Center study that compared the results of national polls to the tone of tweets in response to eight major news events, including the […]

About a third of Twitter postings about Hurricane Sandy contained oooo-related news and information.

About a third (34%) of postings on Twitter about Hurricane Sandy consisted of news and information about the storm from a wide range of sources.

How did people use Twitter during Hurricane Sandy and what did they tweet about? A new study from PEJ shows that over half of the conversation on and around the hurricane’s landfall was news, information, photos and videos of and about the super storm.

The conversation on Twitter about the Penn State scandal has shifted focus over the last month from the man convicted of sexual abuse to the school and then to the NCAA. But one constant in the conversation has not budged—views of Joe Paterno.

The percentage of adults online who use Twitter on a typical day has doubled since May 2011.

Overall adoption remains steady, but "typical day" usage continues to grow. 8% of online adults now use Twitter on a typical day. African-Americans, young adults, and mobile users stand out for their high rates of Twitter usage.

Despite the growing importance of social media, just 9% of digital news consumers say they “very often” follow news recommendations from Facebook or Twitter on any of the three main types of digital devices (computers, smartphones or tablets).

It took several weeks after the killing of teenager Trayvon Martin before the story exploded in the media. A new PEJ report reveals how social and mainstream media platforms focused on different elements of the controversy and how ideology influenced coverage on the cable and radio talk shows.