• by Erik Sass  @eriksass1, September 13, 2010

The number of Americans who regularly read the print edition of a newspaper is continuing to decline, even as more Americans seek out news in general, according to the latest survey from the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press.

Overall, the proportion of daily print newspaper readers decreased from 38% in 2006 to 30% in 2008, before slipping to 26% this year. That represents a 32% drop in the size of the newspaper-reading population in just four years.

In a stark illustration of the shifting generational dynamics of news consumption, just 8% of the 26% cohort who read a print newspaper every day was between the ages of 18 and 30, compared to about 20% of the U.S. population. There were a few exceptions, in the form of major national newspapers like USA Today, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal; 34% of the NYT's readers are under 30.

So where are Americans going for daily news?

Fory-four percent said they get news online (including email, social networks, and podcasts) or via mobile devices every day. That compares with 39% who regularly watch cable TV news.

In a positive finding for newspapers, the proportion of survey respondents who said they read a newspaper online every day jumped from 9% in 2006 to 13% in 2008 and 17% in 2010.

Still, the proportion of Americans who get their news from newspapers in digital or print versions appears to be declining overall, although at a fairly gradual rate: falling from 43% in 2006 to 39% in 2008 and 37% in 2010.