Media is changing, but despite a decline in newspapers, U.S. consumers are still watching TV news in addition to getting news online. Atomik Research asked 2,000+ respondents how they consume their news for current events. Here’s how the data stacked up:
- 58% of respondents watch network TV
- 57% of respondents read online news sites
- 49% of respondents stream news on TV
- 31% of respondents read newspapers
Breaking down the numbers further, men and women both prefer to get their news from TV and online sources. Six out of 10 men and half of women watch TV news and read news online.
Looking at different age groups, Millennials (born 1982-1994) consume the most earned media in every major category except traditional television. They read online newspapers at 65%, stream television at 61%, listen to radio at 44% and podcasts at 38%. Surprisingly, Millenials also outnumbered all generations (including their grandparents) in reading traditional newspapers, 40% versus 35% in the Silent Generation (born 1928-1945).
Another fascinating trend when comparing generations, is how closely Gen “Z” (born 1997 – 2013) resembles their parents in Gen “X” (born 1965-1980). Half of both groups surveyed read online news sites and stream TV online. Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964) lead the charge with traditional television, with 72% tuning in, but they still go online, with half reading online news sites.
Looking for more ways to reach your audience across all demographics? Learn more about our broadcast PR solutions, including Insights-Driven Broadcast.
4media group’s in-house Insights & Analytics division Atomik Research focuses on directional insights to level-up communications strategies. This helps ensure that messaging resonates with the right audience through the channels they use every day. PR surveys, target audience mapping and bespoke research projects represent just a few examples of insights approaches Atomik employs to power brand impact. If you are looking for a partner on your next research project, you can schedule a call here.
*Research Methodology: Atomik Research ran an online survey of 2,012 adults in the United States between March 28 and April 4, 2023. The margin of error is +/2 percentage points with a confidence level of 95%.
How do you get (or consume) your news and information?
| Total | ||
|---|---|---|
| Total | 2,012 | 100% |
| TV (traditional) | 1,158 | 58% |
| TV (streaming) | 988 | 49% |
| Radio (traditional) | 743 | 37% |
| Podcasts | 526 | 26% |
| Newspapers | 617 | 31% |
| Online news sites | 1,147 | 57% |
| Blogs | 319 | 16% |
| Other, please specify. | 74 | 4% |
| Count | 2.77 |
| Total | Male | Female | Non-binary | Other | Prefer not to say | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | N=2012 | N=1002 | N=1004 | N=1 | N=2 | N=3 |
| TV (traditional) | 58% | 63% | 52% | 0% | 0% | 67% |
| TV (streaming) | 49% | 55% | 43% | 0% | 100% | 33% |
| Radio (traditional) | 37% | 44% | 30% | 0% | 0% | 67% |
| Podcasts | 26% | 34% | 18% | 0% | 50% | 33% |
| Newspapers | 31% | 40% | 22% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Online news sites | 57% | 62% | 52% | 100% | 50% | 0% |
| Blogs | 16% | 21% | 11% | 100% | 0% | 33% |
| Other, please specify. | 4% | 3% | 5% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Count | 2.77 | 3.20 | 2.34 | 2.00 | 2.00 | 2.33 |
How do you get (or consume) your news and information?
| Total | Gen Z (18-26) | Millennial (27-42) | Gen X (43-58) | Baby Boomers (59-77) | Silent Gen (78+) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | N=2012 | N=254 | N=762 | N=521 | N=449 | N=26 |
| TV (traditional) | 58% | 48% | 51% | 59% | 72% | 65% |
| TV (streaming) | 49% | 48% | 61% | 47% | 34% | 31% |
| Radio (traditional) | 37% | 30% | 44% | 35% | 31% | 35% |
| Podcasts | 26% | 28% | 38% | 21% | 12% | 19% |
| Newspapers | 31% | 20% | 40% | 23% | 30% | 35% |
| Online news sites | 57% | 54% | 65% | 55% | 50% | 27% |
| Blogs | 16% | 21% | 25% | 12% | 3% | 0% |
| Other, please specify. | 4% | 4% | 4% | 3% | 2% | 12% |
| Count | 2.77 | 2.52 | 3.29 | 2.55 | 2.32 | 2.23 |