A new survey says Alachua County residents turn to Facebook more than any other platform when it comes to news.
Out of the 317 residents the Alachua County Communications Office recently surveyed, Facebook was voted the most popular.
About 91 percent of participants confirmed they had an account.
Sixty-five percent of participants said they read local newspapers, with the Gainesville Sun and The Independent Florida Alligator voted the two most popular.
Participants ranged in age from 18 years old to more than 51 years old, with the majority of them skewing older.
Mark Sexton, the director of county communications and legislative affairs, headed the survey.
Its purpose, he said, was for the county to obtain “a snapshot of how we communicate with each other” and to determine what social media platforms residents use most.
The survey, offered from Aug. 10 to Aug. 15, was motivated in part by the county’s push to gain a stronger online presence, he said.
Sexton said the county is trying to get more involved on social media and the internet.
Through its Facebook page, the county posts information about emergencies and events.
Some participants, however, said they did not use any social media sites, with one writing, “I am not on social media. I refuse to do this.”
David Carlson, a UF professor in the College of Journalism and Communications, said the survey failed to account for residents like himself who do not have an online presence.
“Not everyone has internet,” he said.
