Internet overtakes newspapers as news source

A new survey from Pew Research centre says the internet, which emerged this year as a leading source for campaign news, has now surpassed all other media except television as a main source for national and international news.

Currently, 40 per cent say they get most of their news about national and international issues from the internet, up from just 24 per cent in September 2007. For the first time in a Pew survey, more people say they rely mostly on the internet for news than cite newspapers (35 per cent). Television continues to be cited most frequently as a main source for national and international news, at 70 per cent.

For young people, however, the internet now rivals television as a main source of national and international news. Nearly six-in-ten Americans younger than 30 (59 per cent) say they get most of their national and international news online; an identical percentage cites television. In September 2007, twice as many young people said they relied mostly on television for news than mentioned the internet (68 per cent vs. 34 per cent).

Internet Rivals TV as Main News Source for Young People*
 
Aug 2006
Sept 2007
Dec 2008
07-08 change
Main source of news
%
%
%
%
Television
62
68
59
-11
Internet
32
34
59
+25
Newspapers
29
23
28
+5
Radio
16
13
18
+5
Magazines
1
*
4
+4
other (vol.)
3
5
6
+1
*Ages 18 to 29.
Figures add to more than 100% because multiple responses were allowed.

The percentage of people younger than 30 citing television as a main news source has declined from 68 per cent in September 2007 to 59 per cent currently. This mirrors a trend seen earlier this year in campaign news consumption.

The survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, conducted from 3 December to 7 December among 1,489 adults, finds there has been little change in the individual TV news outlets that people rely on for national and international news. Nearly a quarter of the public (23 per cent) says they get most of their news from CNN, while 17 per cent cite Fox News; smaller shares mention other cable and broadcast outlets.

Top News Stories of 2008
While the 2008 presidential campaign attracted high levels of public attention, the economy was the top story of the year in terms of news interest, according to Pew's Weekly News Interest Index. In late September, as the nation's financial crisis deepened, 70 per cent said they were following news about the economy very closely. That ranks among the highest levels of news interest for any story in the past two decades.

Top News Interest Stories of 2008
    Followed very closely
  Story........
%
1
Conditions of U.S. economy (Sept 22-28)
70
2
Rising price of gasoline (June 2-8)
66
3
Debate over Wall St. bailout (Sept 29-Oct 5)
62
4
2008 pres. general election (Oct 13-19)
61
5
Major drops in U.S. stock market (Oct 6-12)
59
6
Falling price of gas and oil (Oct 13-19)
53
7
Hurricane Ike (Sept 8-14)
50
8
Wall Street financial crises hits (Sept 15-21)
49
9
Obama transition (Nov 17-23)
49
10
2008 pres. primary election (Feb 11-17)
44
11
Hurricane Gustav (Sept 1-7)
42
12
Debate over auto bailout (Nov 17-23)
41
13
Rising unemployment (Dec 1-7)
40
14
Floods in the Midwest (June 16-22)
39
15
Beijing Olympic games (Aug 18-24)
35

For stories measured multiple times the highest percentage for "very closely" is shown.