Where Do Moderate Women Get Their News?
Get ready for research! Galvanize USA just conducted a qualitative media consumption study to learn about how moderate women are getting their news and entertainment. What social media platforms do moderate women use? Where do they get their news about current events? How do women feel about what they’re seeing on Facebook these days? Keep reading to find out what’s getting their time and attention!
A note about ideology:
This survey only includes “ideologically-moderate” women, which just means women who hold values, beliefs, and opinions that are not considered extreme. It also means they’re more likely to be open minded about the big issues that affect all of us!
A note about methodology:
This is a qualitative study, which means it centers on non-numerical data like opinions, feelings, and quotes! The sample size of 47 women was perfect for deep dives into thoughts, feelings, and examples, but it’s really too small to draw statistically significant conclusions from the numbers you’ll see below. Those numbers are interesting and can add context, but Galvanize USA won’t use these numbers alone to draw conclusions.
WHICH PLATFORMS DO MODERATE WOMEN USE?
Women in the study spent more time on social media than other forms of media. In this survey, 43% reported using any type of social media that day while just 30% reported using other media such as streaming services or magazines.
How many hours did you spend on each of the following social/other media sites/sources today?
| Hours spent each day (5-day average) | None | Any type/ platform | Less than 1 hour | 1-2 hours | 3-4 hours | 5-6 hours | More than 6 hours |
| All Social Media | 57% | 43% | 19% | 17% | 5% | 1% | 1% |
| All Other Media | 70% | 30% | 12% | 13% | 4% | 1% | 1% |
Here’s how they spent that time on one given day:
How many hours did you spend on each of the following social/other media sites/sources today?
| Hours spent each day (5-day average) | None | Less than 1 hour | 1-2 hours | 3-4 hours | 5-6 hours | More than 6 hours |
| 16% | 26% | 36% | 17% | 3% | 2% | |
| 20% | 29% | 34% | 14% | 2% | 1% | |
| Streaming TV | 31% | 9% | 32% | 19% | 4% | 5% |
| YouTube | 38% | 21% | 21% | 16% | 3% | 2% |
| TikTok | 39% | 22% | 28% | 9% | 0% | 3% |
| Radio | 58% | 20% | 20% | 2% | 0% | 0% |
| 64% | 21% | 14% | 1% | 0% | 0% | |
| 66% | 20% | 11% | 0% | 0% | 3% | |
| Snapchat | 66% | 18% | 11% | 2% | 1% | 1% |
| 68% | 22% | 9% | 1% | 0% | 0% | |
| 70% | 12% | 15% | 2% | 0% | 0% | |
| Blogs | 72% | 18% | 9% | 2% | 0% | 0% |
| Podcasts | 72% | 12% | 13% | 2% | 0% | 0% |
| X (Twitter) | 76% | 14% | 10% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Nextdoor | 77% | 15% | 7% | 1% | 0% | 0% |
| Other – Social Media | 82% | 6% | 7% | 2% | 0% | 3% |
| Other – Other Media | 85% | 6% | 6% | 1% | 0% | 2% |
| Magazines | 85% | 7% | 7% | 1% | 0% | 0% |
| Newspapers | 87% | 9% | 3% | 1% | 0% | 0% |
A CLOSER LOOK AT FACEBOOK
Facebook was used more than any other platform. Most respondents said they use Facebook daily, and often multiple times throughout the day.
“I’m on Facebook first thing in the morning… and then for different chunks throughout the day.”
– Divorced woman, age 50-70
The women we heard from painted a very comprehensive picture of the current environment on Facebook. They like the connection it offers: keeping in touch with their family, staying up to date with school and community groups, and getting alerts about things like events, sales, and birthdays. But they dislike the “political” controversy and negativity, even on posts made by loved ones.
“Hate and arguing. Facebook has become a place for people to hide behind their keyboards and say mean things to people with no remorse about it. I don’t use Facebook as a platform to share my political views or to “debate” controversial issues because I see how mean it can get. Friendships and family relationships changed from being on opposite sides of something and I wish that we could all respect each other more on social media.”
– Married woman, age 35-49
Some women also mentioned disinformation and misinformation on Facebook.
“I get bothered [by] how much misinformation is spread all over Facebook. I see it in videos and in accounts that appear to be news publications.”
– Single woman, age 18-34
HOW AND WHY DO WOMEN USE SOCIAL MEDIA?
The vast majority of women said they use social media to stay connected with family and friends. Seventy one percent reported this as their first or second-most-important reason.
When it comes to social media, what would you say are your primary reasons for using it? Please rank the items below from what is most important to least important.
| Keeping in touch with friends and family | Keeping up with current events/the news | Researching and learning | Filling spare time | Entertainment | Relaxing / turning my brain off | Networking / meeting new people | |
| Rank 1 (most Important) | 62% | 11% | 11% | 6% | 4% | 4% | 2% |
| Rank 2 | 9% | 19% | 17% | 4% | 26% | 19% | 6% |
| Rank 3 | 9% | 28% | 9% | 13% | 21% | 17% | 4% |
| Rank 4 | 9% | 26% | 17% | 11% | 13% | 13% | 13% |
| Rank 5 | 2% | 6% | 19% | 17% | 28% | 23% | 4% |
| Rank 6 | 9% | 4% | 21% | 23% | 4% | 15% | 23% |
| Rank 7 (least important) | 2% | 6% | 6% | 26% | 4% | 9% | 47% |
Reasons for using social media also vary a little by platform, as one would expect:
- Facebook: keeping in touch with friends and family
- Instagram: following trends, influencers, brands, and content that is humorous, nostalgic, or heartwarming
- Pinterest: inspiration and ideas, especially those that come to life better in a visual format
- Reddit: researching and learning from groups that share similar interests to gather knowledge and perspectives
- TikTok: connecting with influencers and people who share the same interests, such as food, fashion, and humor
- YouTube: long-form video and a vast array of diverse content from influencers or experts
We asked the women in this study to classify their social media usage based on the activity personas below. As you can see, most women self-identified as “public followers” who frequently like, comment, and share.
Which of the following statements best describes your social media “persona?”
| Percentage of Persona Types | 18-34 | 35-49 | 50-70 | All |
| [Creator] An active poster frequently creating and posting pictures, videos, commentary | 30% | 33% | 22% | 30% |
| [Public Follower] An enthusiastic public follower of other people’s content who likes, shares, and comments on posts | 39% | 40% | 67% | 45% |
| [Private Sharer] A private sharer of content with friends and personal connections who doesn’t like and comment on things | 26% | 13% | 11% | 19% |
| [Silent Observer] A silent observer who quietly watches without liking, sharing, or commenting | 4% | 13% | 0% | 6% |
Interestingly, the public followers (and others) often said they were more likely to take the passive actions of liking and sharing posts rather than commenting on them.
MOST TIME ON SOCIAL MEDIA IS SPENT WATCHING VIDEOS
On average, 54% of time on social media was spent watching videos and all age groups are spending at least half of their social media time watching video content.
What percentage of your time on social media each day would you say was spent watching videos (vs. reading, looking at posts, sharing etc.).
| Age Group | Average of Percentage Video Each Day |
| 18-34 | 52% |
| 35-49 | 58% |
| 50-70 | 50% |
| All | 54% |
HOW DO MODERATE WOMEN LEARN ABOUT IMPORTANT ISSUES?
We wanted to learn more about how moderate women are engaging with important issues on social and traditional media. Here’s what was feeling important to moderate women:
- The economy: tariffs, the stock market, and inflation (especially related to cars, groceries, and housing)
- Foreign Affairs: foreign affairs in general, but especially Ukraine and Palestine/Gaza
- Politics: current events and changes made by the current administration (especially government department cuts, ICE, and war plan text leaks)
- Public Health: healthcare, insurance, women’s health, and recent measles/other outbreaks
- Social Issues: racial/gender/economic inequality, education/schools, storms and disaster relief, and the fentanyl crisis
- Science: n/a
Now take a look at where women are learning the most about each of these topics. You’ll notice that the most prevalent source of information is traditional TV, and that TV is also where 81% of moderate women are getting most of their information about politics.
Which media sources or platforms do you rely on most to get information about each of the following types of important issues? (Colors indicate high (green), medium (yellow), low (orange/red) ranges.)
Multiple respondents mentioned relying on major TV and radio networks (e.g., ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, MSNBC, PBS, NPR). When it came to public individuals, women named a mix of celebrity and media names. Those who had podcasts (e.g., Joe Rogan, Pod Save America, The Rest is Politics, The Young Turks, The Bulwark, Call Her Daddy, Clark Howard) were more likely to be mentioned by more than one respondent.
If we zoom in on social media, we see that Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram were also relied-upon sources for a majority of women, but TikTok was not. Broadly, women in the study were slightly more satisfied with other media (66% were extremely or somewhat satisfied) than they were with social media (57%) when it comes to understanding important issues. Women said they appreciate that social media provides real-time updates and diverse perspectives, but left something to be desired in terms of accuracy of information and bias. Many emphasized the need for balance.
HOW DO WOMEN DECIDE WHO THEY TRUST ON IMPORTANT ISSUES?
Women talked about trust a lot in this qualitative research! Let’s look at a few significant patterns in their reflections.
Women overwhelmingly told us they trust people and media outlets that provide reliable information, cite their sources, and consistently make trustworthy choices over time.
“They gain my trust by passing the test of time. Since I’ve seen their work for many years, I feel a sense of trust in them.”
–Divorced woman, age 35-49
“They gained my trust by indicating their sources and featuring experts… Their information can be easily fact-checked so I am able to rely on them.”
-Single woman, age 18-34
Some women also said they rely more on personal experience and gut instinct to determine trustworthiness.
I feel like common sense goes a long way when it comes to deciphering what information is trustworthy and what is not regarding important issues.”
– Married woman, age 50-70
“I get a gut instinct sometimes about things and usually my instincts. . . serve me well.”
– Divorced woman, age 50-70
The use of fear tactics can make moderate women feel scared and distrustful.
“I trust them because they cite real data and explain things without fear tactics.”
– Divorced woman, age 35-49
Women appreciated content that was engaging and easy to understand, with humor or storytelling to make complex topics more accessible.
“What stood out to me about this content is how Jon Stewart blends sharp analysis with humor, making complex political issues more accessible and engaging.” – Single woman, age 18-34
Women like practical content with actionable steps, which helps them feel more in control.
“I find Everything Frugal on Facebook to be important because they discuss things I can be in control of regarding finances/economics as opposed to things out of my control.”
– Divorced woman, age 50-70
WHAT IS FUN AND ENTERTAINING ON SOCIAL MEDIA?
Social media is largely about having fun! Understanding what moderate women think is fun and entertaining can help Galvanize USA create programming that’s even more engaging.
Unsurprisingly, different women find fun content in different places.
Women in this sample follow a wide variety of individuals and organizations spanning beauty, fashion, lifestyle, comedy, entertainment, sports, food, health, parenting, arts, and travel. That content is extremely diverse, but most of it has a few key traits in common:
- CONNECTION: Women enjoyed content that helped them connect with friends and family, especially by sharing memes, commentary, and interactive posts.
- ESCAPISM: Many women follow celebrity or humor content that gives them a break from reality.
- AUTHENTICITY: Relatable creators who share the authentic ups and downs of life were very popular with the women we heard from.
- INSPIRATION: Some women were drawn to fun content in the form of positive affirmations, female empowerment messages, and encouragement for personal growth and relationships.
- EDUCATION: Some women enjoyed documentaries and educational social media posts as entertainment.
- VISUAL APPEAL: High-quality, aesthetically pleasing visuals made content more engaging and appealing.
This research tells Galvanize USA so much about where and how we can best connect with moderate women! If we combine the entertainment women want with the prosocial messages our democracy needs, deliver that through messengers women trust and place that content on the platforms women already use, we can rapidly scale the impact of our programming!
METHODOLOGY
Moderate Women National Survey
- Audience: Ideologically Moderate US Women
- Sample size: 47
- Dates in field: April 1–5, 2025
