News audiences spread the word, but few get involved in local journalism
We asked residents in Denver, Macon, Ga., and Sioux City, Iowa, about the actions they take to gather, share and add to the news in their communities.
Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
We asked residents in Denver, Macon, Ga., and Sioux City, Iowa, about the actions they take to gather, share and add to the news in their communities.
In many ways, 2013 and early 2014 brought a level of energy to the news industry not seen for a long time. Even as challenges of the past several years continue and new ones emerge, the activities this year have created a new sense of optimism – or perhaps hope – for the future of American journalism.
As the presidential election enters the last lap, where are people going to learn about the campaign and the candidates? A new PEJ survey finds an increasingly diverse ecosystem for political news.
Depending on the topic, urban residents are more likely to use mobile and online sources; suburbanites are most heavily into social media; and rural residents are more inclined to word of mouth sources
These local news enthusiasts follow a diverse set of topics but rely heavily on local newspapers to keep them informed
The migration of audiences toward digital news advanced to a new level in 2011 and early 2012, the era of mobile and multidigital devices. More than three-quarters of U.S. adults own laptop or desktop computers, a number that has been stable for some years.1 Now, in addition, 44% of adults own a smartphone, and the number of tablet owners grew by about 50% since the summer of 2011, to 18% of Americans over age 18.
Perhaps no topic in technology attracted more attention in 2011 than the rise of social media and its potential impact on news. “If searching for news was the most important development of the last decade, sharing news may be among the most important of the next,” we wrote in a May 2011 report analyzing online news behavior called Navigating News Online.
The sale of the photo networking site Instagram to Facebook for $1 billion gained attention on both blogs and Twitter last week as users were startled by the large price tag. Also, three separate media controversies kept the aftermath of the Trayvon Martin case in the news six weeks after the incident occurred.
The internet is the source that people most rely on for material about the local business scene and search engines are particularly valued.
In social media last week, it was new tech entrants versus familiar tech services—and both bloggers and Twitterers gave much better marks to the new entrants. The iPhone and Google+ received praise while changes to Facebook and Netflix were roundly criticized. And on YouTube, millions viewed a tragic crash at an air show.
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