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.