NPR's Shift to Social Media
- Victoria Elizabeth
- Oct 11, 2023
- 4 min read
News networks have been required to adapt to social media standards, and NPR has done it fairly well.
National Public Radio, more commonly known as NPR, was founded in 1970 by Bill Siemering and has operated as one of the most popular news networks since. Though news companies are traditionally found on TV channels or radio stations, they have also needed to move to social media platforms with all of the advancements in technology.
In fact, according to an article from Pew Research Center regarding news and social media, about half of the adults in the United States actually get their news from social media platforms. Whether it be Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or even TikTok, it has become very important for news networks to build a social media presence. Not only to maintain relevancy and keep audience engagement high, but to also combat fake news and misinformation from other accounts.
NPR's Social Media Presence
NPR utilizes Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, and though they no longer have any Twitter (or, I suppose, more accurately called X) accounts, they now also use Threads. On Instagram, they have several accounts dedicated to specific content, but their main boasts 6.6 million followers, close to their 7.6 million followers on Facebook, and 1 million on Threads. Their YouTube channel consists of over 430,000 subscribers, (though over 8 million on their music dedicated channel) and TikTok has the least with just a little less than 400,000.
On most platforms, NPR often posts several times a day, spanning a few hours and sometimes throughout smaller intervals on Facebook, highlighting different news stories across the nation. NPR often uploads one video on YouTube daily of the headlines of the day, not counting shorts or livestreams.
Instagram may be the most effective for the company. Though Facebook holds the largest following in general, Instagram allows their news stories to reach a broader audience while still maintaining a big following.
But I also think Instagram is where they have the most engagement. Audiences view and comment on most platforms, but from what I've seen, people delve into deeper conversations on Instagram.
I’ve noticed that NPR doesn't respond to any of their comments on social media, but audiences seem to make up for that by starting conversations themselves. NPR uploads their stories, and unlike some other news accounts, keep their comments sections open for audiences to chime in with their own opinions or other facts that may not have been mentioned. NPR audiences seem very vocal on every platform, and they often extend the conversation to other people and issues to expand on the initial story.
Five Fundamentals of Media Habits
NPR effectively addresses what Converging Media: A New Introduction to Mass Communication refers to as "five fundamental areas in which people's media habits are changing," which are choice, conversation, curation, creation, and collaboration.
We've already seen how NPR social media accounts facilitate conversation, but they also address the habit of choice and curation head on. By using separate accounts and platforms to create niche content for certain audiences, NPR makes it easier for people to find what they are looking for while giving plenty of options for what kind of media audiences may want to consume. From their primary news stories to Tiny Desk concerts, NPR plays into the need for easily accessible variety.
As for creation and collaboration, I don't think NPR strays too far from traditional content creation as opposed to using more social media type formats. Other than the short-form TikToks, reels, and YouTube shorts, I feel that NPR still sticks to its traditional news format as much as possible.
The same goes for their collaboration. Being an established non-profit news network, I think it's safe to say that NPR isn't foreign to collaborating with others. Whether they be artists and musicians, politicians, or other professionals, NPR often works with many others, building a rather strong news community.
Overall
NPR's social media presence still has several weaknesses. For one, they no longer use Twitter, having left the platform earlier this year due to Elon Musk's inaccurate company labeling. Though several other news networks followed NPR's example shortly after, Twitter is still a major outlet for companies to be heard, and NPR's shift to Threads has not picked up as much as Twitter. It's a lost opportunity and puts them at a bit of a disadvantage, but their presence on other platforms remains strong.
We already know that NPR's variety in quality content and open audience engagement keeps the company in high regards on social media. With the audience they have, NPR being more responsive to comments and furthering conversation may boost their social media presence even more. NPR's stories have already gained fame for being more reliable than other networks, but if they were to acknowledge their readers' and viewers' thoughts, I believe it'd further their credibility and allow them to gain more views and followers.
However, many competitors, such as The Washington Post or The New York Times have just as big, if not bigger presences on the same platforms, making it difficult for NPR to truly stand out on social media.
Despite this, NPR has adapted to social media standards while ultimately staying true to their original content. And I believe that's what makes them successful not just as a company, but as a company in an ever-changing online environment.
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