Source: https://www.slideshare.net/blueeyepathrec/understanding-the-participatory-news-consumer-3318209
Timestamp: 2019-04-25 17:58:31+00:00

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Study from the Pew Internet and American Life Project focusing on how people get their news from various online sources.
3. participatory Methodology 46 Summary of Findings Overview In the digital era, news has become omnipresent. Americans access it in multiple formats on multiple platforms on myriad devices. The days of loyalty to a particular news organization on a particular piece of technology in a particular form are gone. The overwhelming majority of Americans (92%) use multiple platforms to get news on a typical day, including national TV, local TV, the internet, local newspapers, radio, and national newspapers. Some 46% of Americans say they get news from four to six media platforms on a typical day. Just 7% get their news from a single media platform on a typical day. The internet is at the center of the story of how people’s relationship to news is changing. Six in ten Americans (59%) get news from a combination of online and offline sources on a typical day, and the internet is now the third most popular news platform, behind local television news and national television news. The process Americans use to get news is based on foraging and opportunism. They seem to access news when the spirit moves them or they have a chance to check up on headlines. At the same time, gathering the news is not entirely an open-ended exploration for consumers, even online where there are limitless possibilities for exploring news. While online, most people say they use between two and five online news sources and 65% say they do not have a single favorite website for news. Some 21% say they routinely rely on just one site for their news and information. In this new multi-platform media environment, people’s relationship to news is becoming portable, personalized, and participatory. These new metrics stand out: l Portable : 33% of cell phone owners now access news on their cell phones. l Personalized : 28% of internet users have customized their home page to include news from sources and on topics that particularly interest them.
15. The news platforms people use on a typical day When asked about their routines for getting news on a typical day, and specifically which news platforms individuals turn to daily, the results are striking. Almost all American adults (99%) say that on a typical day, they get news from at least one news platform (local or national newspapers, local or national television news broadcasts, radio, or the internet), including 92% who follow the news on multiple platforms on a typical day. On a typical day: 78% of Americans get news from a local TV station l 73% get news from a national television network such as CBS or a cable TV station such as CNN or FoxNews l 61% get some kind of news online l 54% listen to a radio news program at home or in the car l 50% read news in the print version of a local newspaper l 17% read news in the print version national newspaper such as the New York Times or USA Today. In addition to exploring people’s use of these six platforms, we asked them about getting news on their cell phones. We found that 26% of Americans get their news from time to time on their handheld device. However, when we isolate the segment of people who access the internet via their phones, we find that 88% of this group gets news at least occasionally on their mobile device. Complete details about these mobile news consumers are contained in Part 5 of this report. It is also instructive to compare people who get news from a variety of sources on a given day with those who use only a few sources. Some 46% of Americans use between four and six of the media platforms cited in the bullets above on any given day. Another 46% use two or three platforms and 7% use just one platform. The notion that people have a primary news source, one place where they go for most of their news, in other words, is increasingly obsolete.
19. and the arts; international news; technology; U.S. domestic policy (see table below). There are five subjects about which noteworthy pluralities of Americans say they would like more coverage. In some of these instances it is interesting to note that younger adults lead the pack in wanting more coverage: Science news and discoveries: 44% of Americans say there is not enough coverage of science-related news. Younger adults are more likely than senior citizens to express interest in increased coverage. Some 52% of those ages 18-29 would like more coverage of this news, compared with 41% of 50-64 year-olds and 34% of those age 65 and older. Those who use the most news platforms (between four and six on a typical day) are among the most interested in getting more science news: 48% of them say so. Religion and spirituality: 41% of Americans say there is not enough coverage of religious and spiritual issues. Women (44%) are more likely than men (37%) to seek more coverage of this area; young adults ages 18-29 (49%) are more likely than those over age 50 (35%) to say this; and bloggers (50%) are more likely than non-bloggers (40%) to say this. Race/ethnicity is also a factor, with African-Americans (57%) significantly more likely than both whites (38%) and Hispanics (43%) to say they would like to see more coverage of religion and spirituality. Health and medicine: 39% of Americans say there is not enough coverage of health and medical news. African-Americans (50%) are more likely than whites (36%) to say there is not enough coverage; non-internet users (43%) are more likely than internet users (37%) to say this. Your state government: 39% of Americans say there is not enough coverage of news about their state government. There are no significant demographic variations where this topic is concerned. Your neighborhood or local community: 38% of Americans say there is not enough coverage of their neighborhood and local affairs. Young adults (41%) are more likely than senior citizens (31%) to believe this; those who get news on the internet (44%) are more likely than others (36%) to express this view.
23. as important to them. And some differences are tied to race and ethnicity: Those who read the print version of national newspapers are significantly more likely than many other platform users to say they talk to friends about the news, that they find news information that helps improve their life and that national newspapers are important for their jobs.
25. There is a significant amount of cultural concern expressed in media coverage, scholarly commentary, advertising and marketing professionals who lament message “clutter.” There is also concern among mental health professionals who fret that information overload is a rising problem for Americans. We asked survey respondents a question about how the volume of news might play into this: “Compared with five years ago, do you think it is easier or harder to keep up with news and information today, or is there no real difference compared to five years ago?” Some 55% say it is easier, only 18% say it is harder. One quarter (25%) feel there is no difference between now and five years ago. Women are slightly more likely than men to believe it is easier than in the past – 58% vs. 52%. Those with higher educational attainment and those who live in higher-income households are also more likely than others to express the upbeat view. And those who use a lot of different media platforms are similarly positive: 63% of those who use 4-6 different media platforms on a typical day say it is easier to get news nowadays, in contrast to just 38% of those who use just one media platform on a typical day who feel that way. Finally, tech users of all kinds are more likely than those without tech to say it is easier to keep up today: Internet users (especially those with premium high-speed plans), those with wireless connections, those with cell phones, and those who use social network sites are more likely than others to think it is easier now to follow the news. Yet even as they say it is easier to keep up with current events, Americans still feel overwhelmed. Some 70% agree with the statement: “The amount of news and information available from different sources today is overwhelming.” One quarter (25%) “completely agree” and another 45% “mostly agree.” Among those most likely to say things are overwhelming are people who use the most media platforms: 73% of those who use 4-6 platforms daily agree it is an overwhelming environment, compared with 55% of those who only use one platform who say they feel that way. When it comes to the quality of coverage itself, respondents give correspondingly mixed signals. Just under two-thirds (63%) agree with statement that “Major news organizations do a good job covering all of the important news stories and subjects that matter to me.” Yet 72% also back the idea that, “Most news sources today are biased in their coverage.” Some of the explanation for this dichotomy seems to be rooted in the views of partisans. Liberals and Democrats are more likely to say the big news organizations do a good job on subjects that matter to them, while conservatives and Republicans are the group most likely to see coverage as biased.
26. organizations do a good job covering all of the important news stories and subjects that matter to me.” Yet 72% also back the idea that, “Most news sources today are biased in their coverage.” Some of the explanation for this dichotomy seems to be rooted in the views of partisans. Liberals and Democrats are more likely to say the big news organizations do a good job on subjects that matter to them, while conservatives and Republicans are the group most likely to see coverage as biased.
30. group is skewed towards those who prefer news sources that share their point of view, men, minorities, and those under age 30. Interestingly, there are no significant differences in the answers to this question that align by ideological viewpoint or party identification. Some 15% say that relying on their social networks for tips and alerts to stories they need to know describes them very well. This group is especially weighted towards the young. Some 22% of members of the Millennials cohort (those ages 18-32) say they rely on their networks. Only 11% of Baby Boomers (ages 46-64) say they rely on their networks this way. Those who use social networking sites such as Facebook are also more likely to rely on their tribe for news tips, 17% vs. 10% of those who are not social networking site users. And those who are less personally engaged with news gathering are more reliant on their networks to stay vicariously informed: 27% of those who “hardly ever” or “never” follow the news say they rely on their networks for tips, compared with 12% of those who follow the news “all or most of the time.” Part 3: News and the internet Introduction Six in ten American adults (61%) get news online on a typical day, placing it third among the six major news platforms asked about in the survey, behind local television news and national or cable television news. While the internet is growing as a news platform, it has not displaced completely offline news sources for most American adults: A majority of Americans (59%) get news from a combination of online and offline sources on a typical day. Just over a third (38%) rely solely on offline sources, while just 2% rely exclusively on the internet for their daily news.
33. online news users (68%) are under age 50, including 29% who are under age 30. Given their younger age profile, it is not surprising that this group is also more likely than other Americans to have never been married (24% v. 9%) and/or to have young children (36% v. 17%). Online news users tend to be employed full-time (50%), two- thirds (67%) have at least some college education (including 22% with a bachelor’s degree and 15% with advanced degrees), and their annual household income trends higher than American adults in general. Racially, this group skews toward Hispanics and whites; while 50% of non-Hispanic African-Americans get their news entirely offline, the same is true of just 38% of non-Hispanic whites and 32% of Hispanics. Because they represent such a large segment of internet users, the demographic profile of online news users mirrors that of the online population as a whole, and it reflects the same characteristics that drive both broadband and wireless use. Yet even among internet users, those who get news online stand out in terms of their high income and education levels, their young age, their racial/ethnic identity, and their use of broadband and wireless (see table below).
34. and wireless (see table below). What news topics do people explore online? Internet users were asked how many, if any, of 12 specific news topics they explore online. Of those 12 news topics, the most popular are weather and national events.
36. Overall, Americans explore a wide variety of news topics online. Four in ten internet users (40%) say they get news and information online about at least 9 of these 12 topics. In this report we sometimes call them “heavy online news users.” Another 39% explore 4 to 8 of these topics online. We call this group “medium online news users “ Some 15% get news on between 1 and 3 of these topics. We call them “light online news users.” Just 6% of online adults do not use the internet to gather information about any of these topics. Among internet users who get news online, certain subgroups explore a greater variety of topics than others. Those most likely to be among the heavy online news user cohort are: l 30-49 year-olds when compared with both younger and older online news users l Individuals living in households with annual incomes of $50,000 or more, when compared with those earning less l College graduates, when compared with individuals with lower educational attainment l Democrats, when compared with Republicans and Independents l Broadband users, wireless internet users, and those who go online daily l Individuals who use a greater number of news platforms, as well as those who use a greater number of online sources, on a typical day l Individuals who get news on their cell phones (discussed in detail in Part 5 of this report) Most people use just a handful of sources online While internet users who get news online tend to explore a wide variety of news topics, they are fairly modest in the number of internet sites they use to gather that information. One in five online news users (21%) say they routinely rely on just one website for their news and information, and another 57% rely on between two and five websites. Surprisingly, asked whether they have a favorite online news source, the majority of online news users (65%) say they do not. Among those who do, the most popular sites are those of major news organizations such as such as CNN and Fox.
37. information. One in five online news users (21%) say they routinely rely on just one website for their news and information, and another 57% rely on between two and five websites. Surprisingly, asked whether they have a favorite online news source, the majority of online news users (65%) say they do not. Among those who do, the most popular sites are those of major news organizations such as such as CNN and Fox. To get a sense of their daily online news consumption, we asked online news consumers if, on a typical day, they used a number of different online sources, ranging from the websites of major newspapers and TV news organizations to posts from journalists and news organizations on sites like Facebook and Twitter. Portal websites like GoogleNews, AOL and Topix are the most commonly used online news sources, visited by over half of online news users on a typical day. Also faring well are the sites of traditional news organizations with an offline presence, such as CNN, BBC and local or national newspapers. Twitter updates, either from either journalists and news organizations or from other individuals and organizations (including friends and family), were the least commonly used news sources of those asked about. The vast majority of online news users (84%) use five or fewer of the 14 news sources asked about on a typical day, including 14% who do not use any and another 34% who use just one or two.
39. In addition to these distinct preferences for certain online news sources across different age groups, it is not surprising that affinities for online news sources also reflect a user’s political party and ideology. In general, Democrats and those who describe themselves as liberal are most likely to get news on a typical day from: l A news organization or individual journalist they follow on a social networking site such as Facebook l The Twitter posts of individuals who are not journalists, or organizations other than the major news organizations l The websites of international news organizations l The websites of radio news organizations such as NPR l News podcasts from organizations such as NPR or the New York Times In contrast, Republicans and those who describe themselves as conservative are more likely to make a daily visit to the website of a major TV news organization, and are also more likely than other online news users to utilize just 1-2 internet news sources on a typical day. Overall, a surprisingly small segment of online news users (35%) say they have a favorite internet news site. Men are slightly more likely than women (39% v. 30%) to have a favored site online, as are college grads when compared to other online news users (44% v. 29%) and those with incomes of at least $50,000 annually when compared with those earning less (39% v. 30%). The most active online news consumers—individuals who explore the greatest variety of topics online and those who use the greatest number of online sources on a typical day—are also more likely than other online news consumers to have a favorite site. Among those who have a favorite site, the most popular sites are those of major national television news organizations such as CNN and Fox, favored by more than a third of online news consumers who named a favorite site. Also popular are news aggregators such as Yahoo and MSN, indicating that many online news consumers like to get news about a variety of topics in one place. Still, among those who named a favorite online news source, 13% cited a local site, such as a local television station’s site, a local newspaper’s site, or a website or blog specifically developed to provide local news.
41. Hunting and Gathering v. Serendipitous Discovery One major concern about the internet is that people would use new technology to retreat into their narrow interests and that accidental news consumption—discovering things you didn’t know would interest you—would erode. This serendipitous news discovery, according to some scholars, is essential to forming public opinion and creating informed consensus and stable cohesion around public policy that makes governing possible. So, the prospect that technology might reduce the likelihood of that happening is a major civic concern. To get a sense of the different approaches employed by online news users, and how active or passive online news consumption is, we asked how often online news users: l Go online specifically to get news? l Come across news while they are online doing other things? l Get news forwarded to them through email, automatic alerts and updates, or posts on social networking sites The answers to these questions reveal that it is most common for online news users to chance upon news while they are online doing other things—what could be called “serendipitous” news consumption. Eight in ten online news users (80%) say this happens at least a few times a week, including 59% who say this happens everyday or almost everyday. Only slightly less common, however, is the hunting and gathering approach to online news consumption. About seven in ten online news users (71%) say they go online specifically to get news at least a few times a week, including almost half (48%) who say they do this everyday or almost everyday. Meanwhile, a smaller segment of online news users say that news finds them—44% get news forwarded to them through email, automatic updates and alerts, or posts on social networking sites at least a few times a week, which includes 28% who receive news everyday or almost everyday. One quarter of online news users (25%) say they never have news forwarded to them.
43. 3 Throughout this section and the report, “ online news users” are defined as the 71% of Americans who answered “ y e s” when asked if they ever get news online, or who said they ever get news online about at least one of 12 specific topics asked about in the survey. Part 4: News on the go Introduction Mobile tech devices, such as laptops, cell phones, smartphones and other handheld devices, are dramatically changing the way Americans access information in their lives. 4 Currently, 53% of adults access the internet wirelessly either through a laptop or a cell phone, BlackBerry or other handheld device. Pew Internet studies have shown that wireless internet users are different from other online adults in important ways: they are 36% more likely than wired internet users to access the internet on a given day, and they engage in virtually all online activities (including email, social networking, and blogging) at higher rates than other internet users. To understand the impact of wireless mobility on news consumption, the current survey asked owners of cell phones, BlackBerries and other handheld devices about different ways they might get news on the go. Overall, 26% of American adults say they get some form of news via cell phone – that amounts to 33% of adult cell phone owners and 88% of adults who have mobile internet. To arrive at that figure we asked the 80% of American adults who own cell phones if they access the internet or email by phone; some 37% say they do. Among this subgroup of internet-using mobile phone users, we found that the vast majority get some kind of news online: l 44% check sports scores and related information on their cell l 35% check traffic information on their cell l 72% check weather reports onupdates cell l 32% get financial information or their l 31% get news alerts sent by text or email to their phones l 68% get news and current events information on their cell 88% say yes to at least one of the above Pew Internet & American Life Project Understanding the Participatory News Consumer | 43 l 49% have downloaded an application that allows them to access news, weather, Overall, cell users under age 50 are almost three times as likely as their older sports, or other information on their cell counterparts to get news on the go (43% v. 15%), and they engage in all cell-based news consumption activities at higher rates than older cell phone users.
47. Attitudes and behaviors of on-the-go news consumers The news consumption of this on-the-go group, in addition to being mobile, is voracious. While they are no more likely than other adults to say they follow the news “all or most of the time,” they utilize a greater number of news platforms. More than half of on-the-go news consumers (55%) use at least 4 different news platforms on a typical day. They are 50% more likely than other adults to read the print version of a Pew Internet & American Life Project of on-the-go v. 15% all other adults). The only news platform national newspaper (23% Understanding the Participatory News Consumer | 47 they are less likely than other adults to use on a typical day is their local television news, and this difference is only slight.

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