Whether people live in a big city or down on the farm, their most-used source for local news is TV, according to a new report from the Pew Research Center. But there are differences in how many platforms people use to find news, and how much they use each one, depending on their urban, rural, or inbetween lifestyle.
Pew Study: TV Top Local News Source
Americans have a high interest in local news, according to findings in new report from the Pew Research Center, and that’s true no matter where they live. But the latest study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project, finds that people in urban areas tend to rely on more platforms to access local news and information, although TV is the first choice.
“Interest in community news on all kinds of topics is quite high in every type of community,” noted Kristen Purcell of the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project, a co-author of the report. “Still, people get local information in different ways depending on the type of community in which they live, and they differ in the degree to which digital and mobile platforms factor into their mix of sources.”
Local TV news is still the most accessed source in large cities, used by 65% of the survey respondents. Internet searches were next, at 58%, beating word-of-mouth at 53% and local radio at 50%.
The best showing for local TV news is in suburban areas, clocking in at 75%. Local radio and Internet searches are tied at 55%, with word-of-mouth at 50%.
The tally for local TV news is the same for both small cities/towns and rural areas, 72%, with word-of-mouth next at 58% for both types of communities. Internet searches are cited by only 48% in small cities/towns, but check in at 53% for rural areas.
The entire study may be downloaded or viewed on the Pew site by clicking HERE.
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