PewInternet.org

News in a networked world

International Journalism Festival, Perugia

April 27, 2012

Lee Rainie: Director, Pew Internet Project

Email: Lrainie@pewinternet.org

Twitter: @Lrainie

12 insights about news in a networked world

1 – Newspapers are critical to civic life Most important source

• Community events

• Crime

• Tax info

• Local govt

• Arts/culture

• Social services

• Zoning / development

Tied with internet

• Housing

• Schools

• Jobs

Tied with TV

• Political news

• Portable – half of cell owners get news on phone – 2/3 of smartphone owners

• Participatory – 20%-40% of consumers contribute to news

• Personal – half of consumers customize

• Social – “news as conversation”

2 – People’s experience of news is being re-shaped by tech change

3 – The audience is shrinking a bit: 17% get no news on average day

4 – People are reallocating their time using news platforms/sources

5 – People are shifting platforms

6 – Users exploit multiple platforms (1)

7873

61

5450

17

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

Local TV National network/cable

Online Radio Local newspaper

National newspaper

News platforms Americans use on typical day

6 – Users exploit multiple platforms (2) 59% use online and offline sources on typical day

7%

46% 46%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

1 platform 2-3 platforms 4-6 platforms

% o

f a

du

lts

(1

8+

)

# of news platforms Americans use typical day

7 – People graze for news all day long

8) Users’ perceptions of news media bias grow

http://www.people-press.org/2011/09/22/press-widely-criticized-but-trusted-more-than-other-institutions/

Press is politically

biased 45% - 1985 63%- 2011

Republicans

and Independents drive the trend

9 – Audiences are more fragmented

by partisanship and ideology

9 -more) Red crowds and blue crowds discuss news – segregated with different sources and conversations

Analysis of 2011 SOTU conversations on Twitter

10 – People are losing its faith in news organizations (with exceptions)

11 – People’s motives vary for using different news sources

12 – People rely on different

platforms for news on different

subjects

Thank you!