Monday, December 12, 2011

The Trend in the American Public's Source for News

by Jeff Stanger

The chart below shows trend data from 27 national surveys conducted between 1993 to 2011 by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press. Pew asked American adults: "How do you get most of your news about national and international issues? Television, newspapers, radio, magazines, Internet." Television as a primary news source for the public has dropped from a high of 88% in January 1996 to a current level of 66%. Newspapers have dropped from a high of 63% in September 1995 to 31% currently. Meantime, the internet has risen steadily — passing radio in July 2003, newspapers in December 2008, and continuing to close the gap with television. When Pew first included "the internet" in January 1999, only 6% of American adults named it as a source for news on national and international issues. In Pew's latest survey, 43% said they use the internet as a primary source for news.

Roll over years to display data. Drag several years to zoom the chart. Toggle a line by clicking an item in the legend.

America's News Sources, 1993-2011

Source: Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Notes: Numbers add to more than 100% because respondents are allowed to name up to two news sources. The chart excludes six surveys in which Pew changed the question wording to ask about particular news events: "killing of Osama bin Laden," "Haiti earthquake," "Hurricana Katrina," "War in Iraq," "terror attacks," and "Persian Gulf.") It includes only the 27 times Pew used the standard wording "news about national and international issues."

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