A new report from Carnegie revealed that young news consumers are radically transforming their viewing and reading habits. Young adults now rely more on new technologies, such as the Internet and local television news, to deliver information and less on newspapers and national television news.
The report, “Abandoning the News,” authored by former editor-in-chief of MSNBC Merrill Brown, found that at the core of the change in news consumption habits for 18- to 34-year olds are technology and market forces.
According to the report, local television headed the list of news sources with more than 70 percent tuning in at least once per week and more than half watching at least three times weekly. Women and low- to middle-income groups are driving the trend in local TV news viewing.
The Internet was the second highest ranked source. Men, high-income groups and broadband users fueled its ranking. The report found that in three years 18- to 34-year olds expect the Internet to become an even more dominant news source. Thirty-nine percent expect to use the Internet as a news source, 14 percent expect to use local television, 10 percent cable TV news and 8 percent newspapers.
The report relied on a Magid survey done for Carnegie. The survey found that 41 percent of young news consumers said the Internet is “the most useful way to learn,” compared to 15 percent who chose local TV.
The report recommends that news managers look for ways to build products for the Internet and delivery via the Internet and multimedia. Such information services could include “risky programming models” using “unique voices” tied to related blogs on niche topics.
To read the report visit www.carnegie.org/reporter/10/news/.
To view a PowerPoint presentation of the survey’s findings, visit www.carnegie.org/pdf/AbandoningTheNews.ppt.