The Pew Research Centre is an independent opinion research group. They study attitudes toward the press, politics and public policy issues. While US based, their research can provide an insight which we can learn from in Australia.
On June 26, Pew released a new report based on it’s most recent research. Here are some quotes from the report summary which I found most interesting:
Overall, a third of Americans below age 40 cite the internet as their main source of news, and many of these people are reading newspapers online. Consequently, while people under age 50 remain far less likely to read a print newspaper than are older people, they are turning to local and national newspapers online in fairly significant numbers.
Convenience is more important than cost in explaining why many Americans are reading the paper online instead of in print. Among those who say they read the web-version of the newspaper, 73% cite convenience, compared with just 8% who do so because it is free.
The entire report can be found here. While some of the research on political views may not be relevant in Australia, the report is valuable in understanding US consumer trends. The Pew research demonstrates very clearly that consumers views on access to and payment for news and information is changing. It is valuable information for any with a stake in the news and information business.