There are now signs that television news is increasingly vulnerable, as it may be losing its hold on the next generation of news consumers.
According to the report Trends in News Consumption: 1991-2012 from the US-based Pew Research Center. Television news is next on the list of casualties following print media and radio.
Online and digital news consumption, meanwhile, continues to increase, with many more people now getting news on mobile phones, tablets or other mobile platforms. And perhaps the most dramatic change in the news environment has been the rise of social networking sites.
The percentage of Americans saying they saw news or news headlines on a social networking site yesterday has doubled – from 9% to 19% – since 2010. Among adults younger than age 30, as many saw news on a social networking site the previous day (33%) as saw any television news (34%), with just 13% having read a newspaper either in print or digital form.
While print sources have suffered readership losses in recent years, television news viewership has remained more stable. Currently, 55% say they watched the news or a news program on television yesterday, little changed from recent years. But there are signs this may also change.
Only about a third (34%) of those younger than 30 say they watched TV news yesterday; in 2006, nearly half of young people (49%) said they watched TV news the prior day. Among older age groups, the percentages saying they watched TV yesterday has not changed significantly over this period.
The complete research can be found on the website of the Pew Research Center.
