Pew report shows divide in social media exposure to race


WASHINGTON (AP) — Black social media users are nearly twice as likely to see posts about race and race relations as whites, according to a report released today by the Pew Research Center.

According to a survey of more than 2,000 social media users, 65 percent of black users say that they encounter posts about race or race relations whereas 35 percent of their white counterparts say the same.

From the same survey, 28 percent of blacks say that most or some of what they post to social media is about race or race relations while 8 percent of whites say they post on the same subject.

"It is clear by now that people's use of social media adds many voices and often new perspectives to the understanding of public events. Social media campaigns can also at times drive up the amount of attention that people give to some issues," Monica Anderson, research associate at Pew Research Center, said. "The rise of race-related hashtags and campaigns on social media is a prime example of that."

Pew researchers also observed Twitter hashtag trends following the shooting deaths of two black men, Philando Castile and Alton Sterling, by police, and found that the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter was used nearly 5 million times on July 5-7. Of those, 87 percent were in support of the movement and 11 percent in opposition.