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Senior Citizens Lead U.S. in News and Information
Consumption
Seniors lead all age groups in regular use of TV
news, daily newspapers and radio news
- more than half seek news online
Feb. 25, 2006 – Most U.S. adults, lead by senior citizens
59 and older, prefer to get their
news from television. Three-quarters (77%) say the watch local
broadcast news, and 71 percent say they watch network or cable news
several times a week or daily. The numbers were much higher for seniors – 88 percent watch both local and national news.
What is most striking in the Harris Poll, however, is the massive news
and information consumption by seniors.
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This new survey also shows a striking
difference in newspaper readership by age group, with 80 percent of
seniors (Harris calls them "Matures") reading a daily newspaper daily or
several times a week. The next closest group was Baby Boomers at only 66
percent and the average for all adults is 63 percent.
Also striking was just the consumption of
information by senior citizens. When asked, "How often do you do any of
the following," seniors lead in regular us of TV news, newspapers, radio
news and talk radio. They were lead by at least one of the younger age
groups in using news online, national newspapers and satellite radio.
The survey also says one in five (19%) U.S. adults
say they listen to satellite news programming or read a national
newspaper (18%) several times a week or daily. Online news
sites, however, are making inroads, with 64 percent of all adults saying
they regularly go online for their news, and even 57 percent of seniors.
These are the results of a nationwide Harris Poll
of 2,985 U.S. adults surveyed online between January 12 and 17, 2006 by
Harris Interactive.
While broadcast television news appears to be the
most popular medium sought, many adults also get their news several
times a week or daily by going online to get news (64%), reading a local
daily newspaper (63%), listening to radio news broadcasts (54%),
listening to talk radio stations (37%), listening to satellite news
programming (19%), and reading a national newspaper (18%).
A key indicator of media usage is age.
Specifically:
● Matures (those 59 years of age and older) are
most likely to rely on more traditional media outlets for information,
with at least eight in10 Matures saying they watch local broadcast news
(88%), watch network broadcast or cable news (88%), or read a local
daily newspaper (80%)several times a week or daily.
● Baby boomers (those 40 to 58 years of age) use
the most varied types of media, with at least one in five boomers using
each medium examined several times a week or daily. Along with Matures,
Baby Boomers are most likely to watch both local and broadcast or cable
television news casts(83% and 74%, respectively), read local daily
newspapers (66%), and listen to radio newscasts (64%) and talk radio
(40%). Boomers and GenXers (those 28 to 39 years of age) are most likely
to go online for news(68% and 70%, respectively).
● Generation Xers are most likely to get their
news several times a week or daily from local broadcast stations (69%)
or online sources (68%).
● Echo boomers (those 18 to 27 years of age) are
the least frequent users of media, with only about half or less getting
information several times a week or daily from each of the media types
measured.
TABLE 1 - MEDIA USAGE
"How often do you do any of the following?"
Base: All Adults – In Percent
|
|
Daily/Several times a week (NET) |
Daily |
Several times a week |
Several times a month/year (NET) |
Several times a month |
Several times a year |
Never |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Watch local
broadcast news |
77 |
54 |
22 |
17 |
10 |
7 |
6 |
|
Watch network
broadcast or cable news |
71 |
49 |
22 |
21 |
13 |
9 |
8 |
|
Read a local
daily newspaper |
63 |
41 |
22 |
28 |
16 |
12 |
9 |
|
Go online to
get news |
64 |
40 |
24 |
26 |
15 |
11 |
11 |
|
Listen to
radio news broadcasts |
54 |
32 |
21 |
26 |
13 |
13 |
20 |
|
Listen to talk
radio stations |
37 |
22 |
15 |
30 |
12 |
17 |
34 |
|
Read a
national newspaper (The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The
New York Times,etc.) |
18 |
10 |
8 |
40 |
14 |
27 |
41 |
|
Listen to
satellite radio programming |
19 |
12 |
7 |
13 |
6 |
7 |
68 |
Note:
Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding.
TABLE 2 - MEDIA USAGE - BY AGE
"How often do you do any of the following?"
Percent saying they use particular medium "daily" or "several times
a week"
Base: All Adults
|
|
Echo Boomers (age
18-27) |
Gen X (age 28-39) |
Baby Boomers (age
40-58) |
Matures (age 59+) |
|
|
% |
% |
% |
% |
|
Watch local
broadcast news |
52 |
69 |
83 |
88 |
|
Watch network
broadcast or cable news |
51 |
57 |
74 |
88 |
|
Read a local daily
newspaper |
43 |
49 |
66 |
80 |
|
Go online to get
news |
53 |
68 |
70 |
57 |
|
Listen to radio
news broadcasts |
26 |
49 |
64 |
58 |
|
Listen to talk
radio stations |
24 |
35 |
40 |
41 |
|
Read a national
newspaper (The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The New York
Times, etc.) |
15 |
23 |
19 |
17 |
|
Listen to
satellite radio programming |
21 |
23 |
19 |
16 |
Methodology
The Harris Poll(R) was conducted online
within the United States between January 12 and 17, 2006 among 2,985
adults (aged 18 and over). Figures for age, sex, race, education, region
and household income were weighted where necessary to bring them into
line with their actual proportions in the population. Propensity score
weighting was also used to adjust for respondents' propensity to be
online.
In theory, with probability samples of
this size, one could say with 95 percent certainty that the overall
results have a sampling error of plus or minus 2 percentage points of
what they would be if the entire U.S. adult population had been polled
with complete accuracy. Sampling error for the sub- samples of Echo
Boomers (310), Generation Xers (441), Baby Boomers (1,165) and Matures
(1,069) is higher and varies. Unfortunately, there are several other
possible sources of error in all polls or surveys that are probably more
serious than theoretical calculations of sampling error. They include
refusals to be interviewed (nonresponse), question wording and question
order, and weighting. It is impossible to quantify the errors that may
result from these factors. This online sample was not a probability
sample.
These statements conform to the
principles of disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.
About Harris Interactive(R)
Harris Interactive Inc. (http://www.harrisinteractive.com/),
based in Rochester, New York, is the 13th largest and the
fastest-growing market research firm in the world, most widely known for
The Harris Poll(R) and for its pioneering leadership in the online
market research industry. Long recognized by its clients for delivering
insights that enable confident business decisions, the Company blends
the science of innovative research with the art of strategic consulting
to deliver knowledge that leads to measurable and enduring value.
Harris Interactive serves clients
worldwide through its United States, Europe (http://www.harrisinteractive.com/europe)
and Asia offices, its wholly- owned subsidiary Novatris in Paris, France
(http://www.novatris.com/),
and through an independent global network of affiliate market research
companies. EOE M/F/D/V
To become a member of the Harris Poll
Online(SM) and be invited to participate in future online surveys, go to
http://www.harrispollonline.com/.
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