Nearly one-third of Americans get news from Facebook, survey says

SEATTLE -- Keeping in touch with family and friends may be what comes to mind for most people when they think of social media, but for some it is also a source for news.

A new survey from the Pew Research Center reported that 30 percent of American adults find out about news stories through Facebook. Of those adults, 78 percent happen to see those news stories only because they logged onto Facebook for other reasons. The remaining 22 percent consider Facebook as an important source for news.

According to the Pew Research Center, "the survey provides evidence that Facebook exposes some people to news who otherwise might not get it."

One respondent told researchers that Facebook is a convenient, centralized place to get news, instead of logging onto several different websites. Researchers said that was especially true for adults ages 18 to 29, who account for about a third of Facebook news consumers.

More information about the Pew Research Center survey can be found here.