How will this affect the type of journalist you become?
Majority of people who read news now get it on handheld devices
Pew Internet
More than half of Americans who regularly read news get it on handheld digital devices, according to new research. The Pew Internet & American Life Project found 54 percent of news-reading adults turn to cell phones, tablets or e-readers (question 23). There’s good news for writers: ”41% of tablet owners and 35% of e-reader owners said they were reading more since the advent of e-content.”
The main focus of the Pew survey was on e-books and how Americans are embracing them. A few interesting facts:
- One-fifth read e-books. 21 percent of all American adults said they had read an e-book in the past year.
- The prototypical e-reading person. The most-typical e-reader owner is a woman, 30 to 49 years old, who graduated from college and has a household income exceeding $75,000.
- E-book readers pay. Only 48 percent of people had purchased the most recent printed book they read; the majority had borrowed it or acquired it some other way. But a higher number, 64 percent, had paid for their most recent e-book.
- Pros and cons. Readers prefer e-books over print books because of efficient purchasing, ease of use while traveling and having a wide selection. But they prefer print books for reading with a child and for the ability to share them with others.
I just recently purchased a smart phone (after polling the class about their usefulness) and I definitely agree I get more news now than I did before. I use it in spare moments to catch up on what's going on. If i'm on the metro going to an interview, I wouldn't normally bring along the newspaper, but I do pull out my smartphone to check the WaPo and Slate apps. Apps are so efficient because you don't even have to search for the site, you just click the app and the headlines come up. I also read a wider variety of news than I did before because I only subscribe to a hard copy of the Washington Post.
ReplyDeleteI purchased an iPhone over a year ago, and I must say, it was the best investment I have ever made. Besides the obvious pros (such as faster text messaging and internet service), the iPhone allows me to view PDF and Microsoft Word documents with ease. I may not use e-Books, but I do often open documents sent from professors and colleagues, something I was unable to do even with a BlackBerry. With the use of "apps" on smart phones, a user can easily read news stories from a particular news organization from the apps; they do not need to use the Internet browser to search for particular articles.
ReplyDeleteCall me old-school, but I way prefer to read my newspaper and books in print. I have a blackberry, which is known to have slow internet access and response time. Reading the New York TImes on the tiny blackberry screen, with my more often-than-not-broken type pad, is literally painful. If I had an iPad or iPhone, I would probably read the newspaper on those devices, but I think that I will always prefer to read printed books. There's something about the feeling of getting a new book and flipping the page that you can't quite grasp on a kindle or iPad!
ReplyDeleteThis news doesn't surprise me. Once when I was waiting to get in to a show, I pulled out my iPod to read the news since there was no way to get a physical paper, for fear of losing my place in the very long line. Even at home, I tend to tote around handheld devices to surf the web or read the news because it travels easily between upstairs and down. I'm sure there are plenty of other Americans as lazy as me, so it makes sense that e-readers and handheld devices are the preferred news medium.
ReplyDeleteFor journalists, I think the field right now is already geared toward online news, but I think the increase in handheld news may increase the pressure to always find a follow-up story to something, and always have story ideas to satisfy the handheld reader. I know that people tend to check their phones constantly, so readers will always be looking for something new, not necessarily something incredibly long and in-depth, especially if the stories are confined to tiny screens.
I am really not surprised at all to hear this news. I can't remember the last time I physically read a newspaper. Most of my news comes from Twitter or my Washington Post app. I think the "print" industry is more geared towards online and web news anyway. But with my schedule, I rarely get on a computer either. Everything I do from making calls to doing my emails and getting my news is all done on my phone.
ReplyDeleteI'm not surprised to read this. Whenever I rode the metro to work, I saw people on their phones the whole time. It's a lot easier to check one device read a bunch of papers (I have the Washington Post and NY Times apps on my iPhone) in a physical sense. It takes up less space. Also, with people on the move, it's nice to be able to read everything on a phone instead of rifling through a massive paper. Sure it's not great for your eyes, but it's convenient. I think that is also important because it's hard to get a newspaper when you are moving around a lot, in terms of a place of residence. My parents and grandparents get the physical paper, but for the younger generation, it's again, way easier to read the news online or on a smart phone instead of getting a subscription.
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks to Twitter, people can get their news using that app which is available on a smartphone. It allows people to share stories they find with their friends. I don't think that hurts news much. I know the industry needs to learn how to make money through online journalism, but people are still turning to the main news organizations albeit via a different medium.
This news is not schocking to me. Just last year I swore I would not cave to the i-phone craze and would continue to read books and the paper in print. But I gave in and got an i-phone last fall and now I can't see how I ever lived without it. As a journalist in a 24/7 news cycle, and even for a regular news consumer, being able to get breaking news updates from news organizations apps and Twitter accounts keeps you in the loop much better than picking up a printed paper. I use my phone to scan the headlines and get a general sense of what is going on and I definately feel more connected to the news now. If I need to read a story more in-depth though, I will go home to my computer and read the full articles online. Nothing can replace the feel of sitting down with a newspaper or old book, but when you need to constantly be up to date on the news smart phones are much more efficient.
ReplyDeleteLike everyone else said, there's little that's surprising about a general shift towards technology. E-readers are truly an interesting beast, as the struggle between e-ink and backlit tablets continues.
ReplyDeleteWhile they are dipping into a market that they will never completely replace, they also pose a formidable form factor for newspapers because it preserves whatever elements of design it wishes while simultaneously becoming instantly updatable. iPad apps, like the one Washington Post pushes content to, are particularly dynamic and colorful, sporting internet access while maintaining the personal "touching" relationship of newspapers.
I would give anything to work on newspaper applications, continually improvising and improving new ways for the readers to consume content.
This comes somewhat a surprise to me. I see that most people read news updates on their iPhone or other smartphones because of social networks. However, I was unaware of the high percentage of e-readers and that they read the news electronically. Personally, I do get a lot of my news through twitter on my phone. I'd like to read an article or two on my iPad. This keeps me up to the minute updated on what's going on locally, domestically and internationally. But, I still like to pick up the morning paper and read it inside out. Technology is great on-the-go, yet nothing can replace that great feeling of reading text on paper.
ReplyDeleteAs a diehard smartphone user since my first BlackBerry three years ago, I completely understand the trend towards digital files. I also received a Kindle (against my wishes from my father) and was surprised to find that I enjoy using it. My Android is great for quickly skimming headlines while I'm waiting in line or on my way to class, and it also buzzes periodically with "breaking news" updates which helps me stay informed without actively searching out information. And while I don't consume news on my Kindle, I find it's much more portable than a three-hundred page book and I can switch between two books if I choose (such as a nonfiction one for class and a fiction one for my own time). As for the link between handheld devices and news consumption: I think it's important to note that a large part of audience that purchases smartphones are business types or working adults who must stay informed. My dad, for example, owns a BlackBerry because he can stay updated throughout the day with work items and news items (he's a lawyer at a firm with dozens of other staff). My aunt, on the other hand, does not have the same daily interactions as my dad and is therefore perfectly content to skim headlines on the paper as she heads out the door and use her non-smartphone (she's a yoga instructor). Personally, I consume the news because it's now a habit and part of my major. And I'm starting to want an iPad despite my initial reaction against one...maybe it'll be like the Kindle, and I'll come to love it after only a few hours.
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