Commentary

Internet Pushes TV For News

by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer, January 12, 2011

The national survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, conducted Dec. 1-5, 2010, finds that more people continue to cite the Internet than newspapers as their main source of news, reflecting both the growth of the Internet, and the gradual decline in newspaper readership (from 34% in 2007 to 31% now). The proportion citing radio as their main source of national and international news has remained relatively stable in recent years; currently, 16% say it is their main source.

Currently, 41% of Americans say they get most of their news about national and international news from the Internet, up 17 points since 2007. Television remains the most widely used source for national and international news, down from 74% three years ago and 82% as recently as 2002.

Most News About National and International Issues (% of Respondents; Two Main Sources)
	*Year*
*Source*	*2005*	*2006*	*2007*	*2008*	*2009*	*2010*
Television	73%	72	74	70	70	66
Internet	20	24	24	40	35	41
Newspaper	36	336	34	35	32	31
Radio	16	14	13	18	17	16
Source: Pew Research Center, December 2010

An analysis of how different generations are getting their news suggests that these trends are likely to continue, says the report. In 2010, for the first time, the Internet has surpassed television as the main source of national and international news for people younger than age 30. Since 2007, the number of 18 to 29 year olds citing the Internet as their main source has nearly doubled. Over this period, the number of young people citing television as their main news source has dropped from 68% to 52%.

Among those ages 30 to 49, the Internet is on track to equal, or perhaps surpass, television as the main source of national and international news within the next few years. Currently, 48% say the Internet is their main source, up 16 points from 2007, and 63% cite television, down eight points.

Currently 34% of people ages 50 to 64 say the Internet is their main source of national and international news, nearly equal to the number who cite newspapers, though still far below television. There has been relatively little change in the how people ages 65 and older get their news. The decline in the share of Americans who cite television as their main source of national and international news crosses all age groups.

College graduates are about as likely to get most of their national and international news from the Internet (51%) as television (54%). Those with some college education are just as likely as college grads to cite the Internet as their main source (51%), while 63% cite television. By contrast, just 29% of those with no more than a high school education cite the Internet while more than twice as many (75%) cite television.

Similarly, those with household incomes of $75,000 or more are about as likely to get most of their news on the Internet (54%) as from television (57%). People with household incomes under $30,000 are far more likely to cite television (72%) than the Internet (34%).

Main News Source (% of Selected Group)
	*Source*
*Group*	*Television*	*Internet*	*Newspaper*	*Radio*	*Magazines*
Total	66%	41	31	15	3

Men	61	43	29	17	3
18-49	55	56	21	19	3
50+	69	28	39	14	3

Women	70	39	33	15	3
18-49	62	53	23	16	3
50+	78	24	45	14	3

White	64	31	42	18	3
Black	66	45	30	9	3
Hispanic	66	45	28	12	3

College grad +	54	51	35	20	5
Some college	63	51	30	15	2
HS or less	75	29	29	14	2

$75K or more	57	54	29	22	4
$30-75K	67	42	29	17	3
Less than $30K	72	34	33	12	2
Source: Pew Research Center, December 2010

There also are different patterns of news consumption across regions of the country. Notably, people living in the West are the most likely to cite the Internet as their main source of national and international news (47% vs. 40% in other parts of the country), and the least likely to cite television (55% vs. 68% elsewhere).

Reflecting the slow decline in the proportion of people getting most of their national and international news from television, the numbers specifically citing cable news outlets or broadcast networks as their main news source has fallen. When asked where on television they get most of their news, 36% name a cable network such as CNN, the Fox News Channel or MSNBC; 22% name ABC News, CBS News or NBC News; and 16% say they get most of their national and international news from local news programming.

Most News on Television From (% of Respondents
	Year
*Source*	*2005*	*2006*	*2007*	*2008*	*2009*	*2010*
Cable news networks	43%	42	37	40	39	36
Broadcast news networks	30	27	27	24	24	22
Local news programming	16	13	18	15	16	16
Source: Pew Research Center, December 2010

Compared with five years ago, the share citing a cable network as their main source is down seven points, and the share citing a broadcast network is down eight points. The local news figure has remained relatively constant over this period.

For more from Pew, including charts, please visit here.

internet, news, newspapers, research

3 comments about "Internet Pushes TV For News".

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Alisa Meyer from Dish Network, January 12, 2011 at 11:54 a.m.
From the research I've been doing, Comcast is trying to get a new perspective on "getting the news" out there by developing Xfinity, not a bad idea except they are releasing it in what I feel is an incomplete product. They say later this year they will give their customers TV everywhere, but at this time they can only provide a remote control via smart-phones. Although I work for their competition, I am a consumer above everything else therefore making my decisions based off of the best product. I have been quite impressed with the DISH Sling Adapter which currently provides TV through many popular smart-phones but also DVR events and such. They've made a major leap in the internet avenue as well. The progression of the product depends on the ability to market and develop a clientele base that helps sell the technology, but I releasing a product simply to get "your hands in the pot" to me is not as big of a value as a complete wake up call via totally astonishing new technology.
Reply

Marvin Miller from Ball Horticultural Company, January 12, 2011 at 2:18 p.m.

We have just finished the college football season. For the first time, almost all of the bowl games were available only on cable television (ESPN), though the Internet, smartphones with specific apps, and alumni strams may have provided other alternative sources for play-by-play coverage.

It would be interesting to see how comparable data for these sports events may have impacted their viewership, relative to the days (last year) when network stations carried at least all of the major bowls or a few more years back when networks carried all of the games.

Michael Nwosu from Excellent Ideas of America, January 20, 2011 at 11:20 a.m.

Your numbers do not add up. It seems that you are throwing a bunch of numbers in your write up. If you sample a group, for example age 30 to 49, then that group's statistics should add up to 100%. There is no way in that group 48% cite the Internet as their main source and 63% cite TV as their main source. This is already more than 100%, and there are still other sources remaining. It seems you are making up the numbers or you do not know how to conduct or interprete a survey, unless you are using a different method that I do not know of.
Too many companies and marketing groups throw up numbers and manipulate statistics to sell their ideas. And they succeed! So, those reading should take these numbers with a heap (figurative) of salt.