Young people still care about print, survey says. Really?
Adults under the age of 35 have significantly increased their consumption of news in the past three years — and they profess a growing interest in getting news from print newspapers.
Some Hope for Newspapers in Greater News Consumption by Young
— Mark Fitzgerald, Editor&Pulbisher
I’m increasingly intrigued by surveys which go unscrutinised, such as the latest from McKinsey & Co. The survey says “average daily news consumption in the UK increased to 72 minutes from 60 minutes three years ago,” and younger news consumers “overwhelmingly prefer to get their news from television and the Internet.”
Great, this actually fits with the trend of declining (print) newspaper sales and a massive increase in online reading. But no, the story goes on to say: “interest in getting news from newspapers has grown, the survey found. Among people aged 16 to 24, interest in newspaper news grew to 64% from 53% in a 2006 survey. In the 25-34 cohort, interest grew to 61% from 51%.”
So if young people “overwhelmingly” prefer to get their news from the Internet, how come “interest” in newspapers has grown? Apparently, it’s because “newspapers remain the most trusted medium, with 66% of respondents describing the paper as informative and confidence inspiring,” the report quoting the survey says.
I find it hard to believe that 16-24s think that if you have the spare cash to print on dead trees, the news source is more trustworthy than an online one. Also, “interest in newspaper news” does not equate to actually buying the newspaper. Case in point — an overwhelming majority of Journalism students at the University of Lincoln (where I study) do not buy any newspapers, despite heavy discounts available on campus.
Actually, I think I can can count on the fingers of one hand how many times I have seen a student on campus carrying a newspaper in their hand (except the free campus publications) in the last three years. Why, because they can get the same content for free online, while they check their Facebook, Twitter, etc., among other possible reasons.
An interesting tidbit from the survey tackles pay walls: “even in a hypothetical scenario where online-only versions of existing newspapers and magazines cost 75% less than the print versions, only 14% of news consumers said they would pay for the online content.”
So, despite interest in newspapers, young people still prefer online and don’t want pay walls. I’m not sure where the “hope” for newspaper publishers should be found in this story.
Tom B.
I think an inherent mis-trust of online anything is because it is a virtual medium. A newspaper can be held in your hand and does not change over time. It is permanent and therefore we, for some unknown reason, will tend to trust a “real” object versus a cloud one. But that is not to say that whatever type of medium you choose guarantees validity.
The fact that a website story can be edited and changed on the fly does not necessarily make it any less valid or true and the same inverse argument could be made for printed media. What it comes down to is, over time, what source seems to be most accurate and convenient.
I still like the feel of a newspaper in my hand but, I am also easily drawn to the speed and ease of news online. For newer generations this tie to printed media will probably shrink and will become more and more expensive thus sealing its fate.