Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World

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Digital News Landscape

fact sheet
Pew Research Center photo illustration.

Local News Fact Sheet

The landscape of local news in the U.S. has changed significantly in recent decades as Americans have been turning away from print and television and toward digital media. In 2025, 21% of Americans say they follow local news very closely, down from 37% in 2016.

data essay

Young Adults and the Future of News

The ways Americans get news and information have transformed dramatically in the 21st century. The news habits of the youngest adults reflect this shift – and may offer some insight into what the future holds.

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Digital News Landscape

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  • report

    How People Learn About Their Local Community

    How do people get news and information about the community where they live? Traditional research has suggested that Americans watch local TV news more than any other local information source. But a new report by the PEJ and the Pew Internet and American Life Project, in association with the Knight Foundation offers a deeper and more comprehensive understanding of the ecosystem of community information.

  • report

    How people learn about their local community

    Citizens’ media habits are surprisingly varied as newspapers, TV, the internet, newsletters, and old-fashioned word-of-mouth compete for attention. Different platforms serve different audience needs.

  • report

    Non-Profit News

    Assessing a New Landscape in Journalism By Jesse Holcomb, Tom Rosenstiel, Amy Mitchell, Kevin Caldwell, Tricia Sartor and Nancy Vogt A new phenomenon has emerged in journalism in recent years-the era of non-profit news. As traditional newsrooms have shrunk, a group of institutions and funders motivated by something other than profit are entering the journalism […]

  • report

    Navigating News Online

    The future of the journalism relies heavily on understanding the ways people consume news online. But mastering that information is challenging. Behavior is changing quickly, and the metrics can be elusive and even contradictory. In a new study, PEJ examines Nielsen data from the top 25 most popular news sites to offer insights about how people get to news sites; what they do once there and where they go when they leave.

  • presentation

    Trends to Watch: News and Information Consumption

    Kristen will present the latest Pew Internet findings on participatory and mobile news consumption, and the level of public interest in religious and spiritual news and information.

  • report

    Survey: Mobile News & Paying Online

    Local news is going mobile. Nearly half of all American adults (47%) report that they get at least some local news and information on their cellphone or tablet computer.

  • short reads

    Online Newspapers Gain on Print

    As the New York Times begins charging for access to its website, the gap between the number of Americans who read newspaper online and in print continues to narrow.

  • report

    The Internet and Campaign 2010

    54% of adults used the internet for political purposes in the 2010 election cycle, far surpassing the 2006 midterm contest.

  • presentation

    How social can news get?

    Lee Rainie speaks at a conference on citizen journalism and social media (updated with slides)

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