PewInternet.org
News in a networked world
International Journalism Festival, Perugia
April 27, 2012
Lee Rainie: Director, Pew Internet Project
Email: [email protected]
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!
