Latest survey says Twitter is more than just one of the world's biggest social media platforms - it is a top source for news as well.

In a survey carried out by the American Press Institute and Twitter - in partnership with the research firm DB5 - it was revealed that nearly nine out of 10, or about 86 percent of the total number of respondents said they use Twitter for news.

Out of over 4,700 social media users who were involved in the survey, 74 percent claimed they use the platform for news every day.

Other than that, the study said 40 percent stated they utilized Twitter to be alerted to breaking news; while 39 percent said they used the platform to keep up with the news generally.

The research - conducted only to social media users in the U.S. - unveiled that users of the social network looked at news on Twitter as a way of passing time. However, it discovered the users became more active and participatory - by commenting, posting, as well as sharing - if the events are fast-moving.

"Social networks are no longer a new door into news. They have become a primary pathway to it - and understanding how people use and create that flow of information is central to survival of news operations in the future," said the American Press Institute.

Moreover, the study noted 94 percent of the consumers got the news either by going through the tweets of the accounts they follow or by looking through their timeline, while 34 percent said they got the news from trending topics. Meanwhile, 30 percent said they got the news with the use of the search tool.

It is also worth noting from the result of the survey that 73 percent of Twitter users follow commentators as well as journalists, while 82 percent accessed the social media platform via their mobile phone. Furthermore, most of the consumers are generally younger.

Twitter reportedly backed the study, which provided access to its database for the researchers to formulate the survey questionnaire.

According to a report, the survey was conducted between Nov. 23 and Dec. 15, 2014. Research firm DB5 then compiled and analyzed the results.

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