WAN Survey Confirms Young Get Their News From Family, Friends, and Social Networking, And, Surprisingly, They Claim To Read Paid-For Newspapers More Than Free Newspapers

And they well recognize the editorial quality differences between free newspapers and the paid-fors. “Most participants said they read paid newspapers more frequently than free newspapers. Many respondents said that free commuter newspapers are well-suited for travel to and from school and work, while paid newspapers are more likely to be read at home," the report said.

But since the study only included 100 youths aged 15 – 24 from several countries around the world it’s obvious a far larger study group is necessary to really test the results. Even so, it’s a start and the research found “Many participants listed 'discussion with friends' as a top source for news and information, sometimes ranking higher than TV or newspapers. In particular, social networks appear to be key in spreading entertainment news for most young people," according to Robert Barnard, founder and partner of the Canada-based research consultancy D-code, which is conducting the WAN research.

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Further Complicated: Advertising, Children and Television

Advertising and television face more complaints, criticism and new rules. ftm reports on the debate in Europe and North America 43 pages PDF file (March 2007)

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ftm reports from the World Association of Newspapers Congresses. Includes WAN readership studies, Russian media and Russian politics, press freedom and the state of journalism. 62 pages. PDF file (October 2006)

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The good news for traditional media is that the young have not given up on the medium, but the bad news is that family and friends are trusted more than traditional media. “Most participants still value more traditional media sources and formats, because they are perceived as being more accurate, reliable and trustworthy. At the same time, however, although information gathered from family and friends may not be accurate, young people appear to trust family and friends much more than media sources," Barnard said. More investigation is being undertaken to discover why that is so.

D-Code’s study group included youths from Colombia, Japan, the Philippines, Lebanon, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, United States and United Kingdom, who documented their media habits and discussed their attitudes towards news and newspaper readership, completed via one-on-one long interviews, on-line discussions, and media diaries.

Are young people getting news and information from many media sources? "Many participants said that they feel uncomfortable trusting a single authoritative source -- even among those that they rely upon on a regular basis. The use of multiple sources and formats is true not only for the formats they use, but also for the news brands they are loyal to."<

Is interest in 'passive' forms of media (radio, TV, etc.), waning as young people want to interact with -- and contribute content to -- news media? "Despite the stated preferences for the internet as a news and information source, and the growing interest in personal devices that facilitate citizen journalism, most participants still value more traditional media sources and formats, because they are perceived as being more accurate, reliable and trustworthy," the report said.

Are young people spending less time with traditional media and more with new media? "Young participants said that usage of new media (i.e., computers, mobile phones, the internet, and MP3 players) is increasingly taking up time participants would have spent with traditional media, though this time is obviously restricted in countries where the digital divide remains a strong barrier. Despite this, many participants say they would like to spend more time with newspapers and other traditional sources of information. Contrary to stereotype, many young participants remained respectful of traditional information sources and few dismiss them as obsolete."