As a former social studies teacher I am concerned about the death of newspapers and magazines. (Search the blog post archives for “25 Things Which Will Be Extinct in 25 Years”) How are people getting their information?
According to a survey conducted by SSRS of 1,040 adults age 18 and older, January 15-24, 2010 people were asked “how frequently do you read a print version of a newspaper?” Those Aged 18-49 said 20% of the time while those 50 and older said 42%. Thirty-nine percent of young people said they never read a newspaper while 29% of older folks do not.
“Which of the following ways do you most prefer to get the news?” 19% of ages 18-49 said print newspapers, 34% said online and 52% said from television. Those 50+ said print newspaper 35%, online 16%, and television 69%.
I believe we are seeing a great divide for those who receive their news through print media and those who use computers or television. My fear is that people who use computers and/or television will get a more slanted view because of the nature of what they tend to watch or read on a computer. Those who favor CNN or MSNBC will get a different view from those who watch FOX news or read the National Review on line.