Running head:  Newspaper Readership
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Newspaper Readership Choices
of
Young Adults
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
by
 
 
Carol Schlagheck
Assistant Professor, Journalism
Department of English Language and Literature
Eastern Michigan University
Ypsilanti, MI  48197
Phone:  (313) 242-4519
email:  [log in to unmask]
 
 
A paper presented for consideration by the Newspaper Division of the Association
for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication,
national convention, July 30-August 2, 1997 in Chicago, IL.
 
 
The author wishes to acknowledge the contribution of
Dr. Melissa M. Spirek, Bowling Green State University, for her guidance with
this research project.
                Newspaper Readership
NEWSPAPER READERSHIP CHOICES OF YOUNG ADULTS
        For more than 35 years, the "news" about newspapers and young readers has been
mostly bad for the newspaper industry.  Long before any competition from cable
television or Nintendo, American newspaper publishers were worrying about
declining readership among the young.  As early as 1960, at least 20 years prior
to Music Television (MTV) or the Internet, media research scholars (Clark, 1960;
Schramm, 1961; Schramm, Lyle, & Parker, 1960) began to focus their studies on
young adult readers' decreasing interest in newspaper content.  The concern over
a declining youth market preceded and perhaps foreshadowed today's fretting over
market penetration.  Even where circulation has grown or stayed stable, there is
rising concern over penetration, defined as the percentage of occupied
households in a geographic market that are served by a newspaper (Hale, 1992;
Lacy & Simon, 1993; Stevenson, 1994).  Simply put, population growth is
occurring more rapidly than newspaper readership in most communities.
        This study looks at trends in newspaper readership among the
18-to-34 age group and examines some of the choices young adults make when
reading newspapers.
Literature Review
        Traditionally, young people could be depended upon to grow up, mature and
become newspaper readers (Bogart, 1989).  Once America's youth graduated from
high school or college, started careers, bought homes, paid taxes, married, had
families, and subscribed to the local newspaper.  According to Bogart, "(i)t has
therefore always been true that people in the early years of adulthood read
newspapers with less regularity than those in their 30s and 40s" (p. 136).
Today, however, the age at which young people form attachments with newspapers
appears to be moving upward.
        Multiple researchers have studied circulation and population figures to
conclude that overall newspaper readership in the United States has been
declining since the 1960s (Lacy & Simon, 1993; Stevenson, 1994; Stone &
Wetherington, 1979; Udell, 1990).  Davis (1991) noted that newspaper circulation
could increase by up to 16 percent during the 1990s if baby boomers bought and
read newspapers at the same rate that generations before them did.  A 1980 study
of the 35-to-44 age group found that 66 percent read a newspaper every day.  In
1990, that figure dropped to 60 percent.
        The readership decline has been more pronounced among younger readers as
compared to those over the age of 35 (Dellabough & Berry, 1993).  The Newspaper
Association of America reported (Simms, 1993) that, in 1972, nearly 50 percent
of men aged 18-29 and 38 percent of women in that age bracket read a newspaper
every day.  In 1991, the figures were 32 percent for young men and 22 percent
for young women.  In his research for the Newspaper Advertising Bureau and the
Newspaper Readership Project, Bogart (1989) found that from 1967 to 1987, the
number of Americans over 18 who reported having read a newspaper "yesterday"
declined from 76 to 65 percent, with the largest decline (20 percent) among
young adults 18 to 24 years old.
        Bogart (1989) also found that college students who continue to live with their
parents read newspapers with greater frequency than those who go to out-of-town
colleges, but that only 8 percent of those ages 18-24 were frequent newspaper
readers.  Another 22 percent were infrequent (or occasional) readers, whereas
the majority reported that they did read the newspaper at all.  Thurlow and Milo
(1993) found readership among college students ages 18-25 to be even lower than
Bogart had reported.  The researchers found that 77 percent of college students
studied had read the most recent issue of their college newspaper, but that they
had not read the local daily newspaper.
        College students say they are pressed for time and cite that as the reason they
spend less time reading newspapers during their college years than they did in
high school (Veronis 1990).  Barnhurst and Wartella (1991) explored what the
newspaper means to young adults, asking 164 college students to write
autobiographies about their newspaper experiences.  They found that 70 percent
said the newspaper was a constant in their family backgrounds, and nearly half
(46 percent) linked newspaper reading with maturity.  However, these same
students did not see their reading participation as helping them perform as
citizens.  In contrast, the college students said that their newspaper reading
did contribute to their roles as consumers.
     Those under 35 appear to include the most transient, unsettled,
     alienated element of their age group. Although they respond to
     entertainment, many of them seem to be turned off by the news itself,
     including the news of their local community (Bogart, 1989, p. 88).
        A survey by the American Society of Newspaper Editors (1990) identified men and
women under age 30 as being most "at risk" of not reading newspapers.  Dennis
(1990) noted that newspapers are seeing increases in circulation only among
those over 40, who already are the age group most likely to read newspapers.
Yet, some of the trends associated with "young" readers are beginning to emerge
in adult readership studies.  This downward trend in readership has implications
for further declines in circulation.
        The ratio of newspaper circulation to households dropped almost 50 percent from
1945 to 1985 (Zhu & Weaver, 1987).  Generally, those who dropped newspaper
subscriptions were found to be readers who were young (under 35), single,
minorities, and/or less educated.  Zhu and Weaver found 14 significant
predictors of dropping a subscription. These include age, sex, race, marital
status, residence location, information seeking, type of starting subscription,
receipt of discount offer, former subscription, duration of subscription,
readership and plan of future subscribing.  Similarly, age was also an indicator
of whether someone who drops the subscription will restart it.  Older readers
tend to resubscribe more often than do younger readers.
        As Tan's investigation (1980) suggested, interpersonal discussion contributes
to newspaper use and this relationship is recursive.  If people talk about
issues, they are more inclined to read about those issues in the newspaper and
vice versa.  The cycle could be reciprocal as well.  The decline in readership
has implications for newspapers' role in creating an informed citizenry (Kohut,
1990; Ward & Wackman, 1971; Wade, 1971).  Kohut (1990) found that readers ages
18 to 29 may have more education than their parents and be more computer
literate, but they know little about news and public affairs.
        Taken together, numerous studies have painted a gloomy picture of a declining
relationship between young readers and newspapers.  Yet, not all reports about
youth and newspaper reading have been negative.  The American Society of
Newspaper Editors (1988) found that reading a newspaper at least once a week is
a firmly imbedded habit of young adults in this country.  They looked at data
provided by the National Assessment of Educational Progress, a literacy
assessment that involved home interviews with 3,600 young adults (ages 21 to 25)
in the 48 continuous states.  According to this investigation, the newspaper
habit holds true across the three major racial/ethnic subgroups D Caucasian,
African American and Hispanic.  However, less than half of the sample reported
reading newspapers daily.  About 90 percent say they read newspapers at least
once a week;  45 percent read newspapers daily.  A total of 2 percent said they
never read newspapers.  Male readership was slightly higher than female
readership.  The study also confirmed that education is positively associated
with readership.
        A recent study by the Newspaper Association of America and the American Society
of Newspaper Editors (Albers, 1996) showed that members of the so-called
"Generation X" D those ages 16 to 29 D do read newspapers.  Nearly two-thirds
read both weekday and Sunday newspapers every week, while another 15 percent
read only Sunday newspapers.
        As these studies indicate, perhaps the extent to which younger readers have
abandoned newspapers has been overemphasized in recent years.  Yet, readership
and circulation declines are real D and newspapers to date have been unable to
turn around the trend within the under-35 age group.  The industry is struggling
to understand younger readers and their needs.
        One of the underlying concerns behind the decline in youth newspaper reading is
the question of how young people view the newspaper.  A number of studies have
begun to explore how young readers evaluate and use newspaper content.
        Looking at this dichotomy between readers and non-readers, Schweitzer (1976)
explored the differences between young adults, ages 18 to 24, who read
newspapers and those who do not.  He found that subscribers in this age group
were more likely to be married and hold professional-technical jobs than were
non-subscribers.
        Comparing reader content preferences over a 10-year period, Stone and Boudreau
(1995) found between readers ages 18-34 and those 35-plus.  Younger readers
showed increased interest in national news, weather, sports, and classified
advertisements over the decade between 1984 and 1994, while older readers ranked
weather, editorials, and food advertisements higher.  Interest in international
news and letters to the editor declined among younger readers, while older
readers showed declining interest in reports of births, obituaries, and
marriages.
        Atkin (1994) explored the influence of telecommunication technology on
newspaper readership among students in undergraduate media courses.  Atkin
reported that computer-related technologies, including electronic mail and
computer networks, were unrelated to newspaper readership.  The study found that
newspaper subscribers preferred print formats over electronic.  In a study of
younger, school-age children, Brooks and Kropp (1994) found that electronic
newspapers could persuade children to become news consumers, but that young
readers would choose an electronic newspaper over a printed one.
        In an exploration of leisure reading among college students, Jeffres and Atkin
(1996) assessed dimensions of interest in newspapers, magazines, and books.
They explored the influence of media use, non-media leisure, and academic major
on newspaper content preferences.  The study discovered that overall newspaper
readership was positively related to students' focus on entertainment,
job/travel information, and public affairs.  However, the students' preference
for reading as a leisure-time activity was related only to a public affairs
focus.  Content preferences for newspapers and other print media were related.
The researchers found no significant differences in readership among various
academic majors, or by gender, though there was a slight correlation between age
and the public affairs readership index, with older readers more interested in
news about public affairs.
        In summary, the majority of studies that have explored the newspaper reading by
college students have resulted in similar findings.  To varying degrees, these
studies have indicated that younger readers D those under age 35 D represent a
different type of newspaper consumer than do their parents.  The newspaper
industry has been struggling to respond to these differences.
        In the past 10-15 years, the newspaper industry has made numerous attempts to
attract younger readers.  The industry even has made attempts to change the
habits of readers by experimenting with newspaper content (Beam, 1996; Gladney,
1996: Wilson & Igawa, 1991).
        In addition, the preferences of young people seem to be behind efforts to
change the traditional "beat" system of news coverage.  The Newspaper Research
Project, a cooperative effort by American newspapers to examine downward trends
in readership and circulation, advanced the idea that the news that readers
(young or otherwise) are interested in lies outside traditional newsroom beats
(Bogart, 1991).  The project spanned the years 1977 to 1983 and was the driving
force behind three main changes in U.S. newspaper content:  (1) increasing the
ratio of features to hard news, (2) reducing the relative balance of national
and world news to local news, and, (3) reducing the number of regular standing
columns and features dealing with special interests (Bogart, 1985).
        In 1977, the Newspaper Advertising Bureau conducted a comprehensive survey of
newspaper readership, questioning 3,048 adults about what they read and why
(Bogart, 1989).  The study was updated in 1987, when 2,049 adults were
questioned about their newspaper readership.  The advertising research found
that readers under age 35 are not interested in politics and current events, but
are more interested in music, records, and consumer subjects.  Readers were
asked to select items that they would include in newspapers tailor-made to their
interests.  Those 18-24 were less likely than adults 25 and older to select
religion news, but they were more interested in stories about sports,
entertainment, horoscopes, health, and the environment.
        Aside from the Newspaper Advertising Bureau studies (Bogart 1989) and a few
targeted readership studies (Jeffres & Atkin, 1996; Stone & Boudreau, 1995)
there is little detailed research about what teens and young adults read when
they pick up a newspaper.  Or why they put it down.
        Hartman (1987; 1992) measured the impact of USA Today on 18- to 35-year-old
readers to determine if younger audience members used this paper differently
than they use other dailies.  Hartman's investigation included whether USA Today
has had an effect on younger readers' use of other newspapers.  Results suggest
that USA Today's approach represents the best-known hope in the newspaper
industry for reversing the decline in young-adult readers, and the best known
way for rival editors to protect against encroachment by USA Today.  However,
the percentage of 18- to 35-year-olds regularly reading USA Today proved to be
less than predicted.  Only 25 percent of 18- to 35-year-olds spent at least 5-15
minutes reading the national newspaper on an average day.
        A USA Today'-style emphasis on photographs and graphics has been shown to be
effective in attracting younger readers (Smith, 1989; Wanta, 1988; Wanta & Gao,
1994; Wanta & Remy, 1995).  Similarly, writing improvement increasingly is being
seen as integral to maintaining and attracting readership in times of declining
circulation ( Cappon, 1982; Clark, 1991; Clark & Fry, 1992; The Freedom Forum,
1993; Laakaniemi, 1987, 1995; New Directions for News, 1992).
        Simms (1993) suggested that the way to attract younger readers is with hard
news, long a mainstay of the newspaper business, but hard news from a teen-age
or twentysomething point of view.  Several researchers (Campbell, 1991;  Jeffres
& Atkin, 1996; McAdams, 1993; Simms, 1993) indicate that young people will read
a story because of the subject matter.  The investigations found that young
people even will "plod through" dense, difficult writing to get information they
want from the story (McAdams, 1993).
        A gap exists in the academic literature about young readers' use and rejection
of newspapers.  Specifically, academic studies are limited in regards to
investigating how young readers use the newspaper D what readership choices they
are making and how they feel about these choices.  Specifically, this study
advances two research questions.        Research Question 1:  What are the newspaper
reading choices of young adults in the 1990s?
        Research Question 2:  What changes could be made to newspaper content to make
it more desirable reading for young adults?
 
Method
Sample
        Participants in this study (N=267) were students enrolled in
100- and 200-level English courses at a medium midwestern public university.
Courses that comprise the framework for this sample were selected because they
could fulfill "basic studies" requirements for all majors.  A basic studies
course is one that is listed within the core curriculum required for all
students.  The researcher obtained permission from seven professors to
distribute questionnaires  in the eight classes during regularly scheduled class
periods.  The students' participation was voluntary.  The goal of this sampling
procedure was to reach a broad cross-section of students representing various
fields of study.  A total of 53 majors was represented by the sample.
        Of the 267 students who participated in the study, 65 (24.34%) were male and
177 (66.29%) were female.  A total of 25 participants chose not to divulge their
genders.  Ages ranged from 17 to 56, with a mean age of 23.6 years.  This mean
does not include the 32 respondents who declined to give their ages.  A total of
157 participants (58.80%) said they were of the Caucasian race, 59 (22.09%)
African American, 10 (3.75%) Asian, five (1.87%) African/Native American, two
(.75%) Hispanic, two (.75%) Native American, and one (.37%) Arabic.  Most (214)
of the students were enrolled full time, whereas a few (28) were part-time
students.  The class rank breakdown was:  freshmen, 45 (16.85%); sophomores, 15
(5.62%); juniors, 33 (12.36%); seniors, 133 (49.81%); and graduate students, 16
(5.99%).
 Procedure
        Questionnaires were distributed and collected by the investigator.  In each of
the eight classes, the researcher introduced herself to the students as a
journalism professor who was conducting a study on students' use of newspapers
and other media.  Each questionnaire included a cover letter with the
researcher's name, address, and phone number.  The researcher provided pencils
and was available to answer questions if anyone needed further assistance.  The
average time spent on the questionnaires was 20 minutes, with some individual
students taking as long as an hour.  Approximately six students asked to take
the questionnaires home to finish.  They returned the questionnaires to the
researcher's mailbox within a couple of days.
Materials & Equipment
        The purpose of the questionnaire was to gather young adults' self-report
responses to inquiries about their newspaper use.  The first two questions asked
the respondents to "(p)lease write the date (as close as you can estimate) when
you last read a newspaper" and "(p)lease write the name of that newspaper."
        Another set of three questions queried the participants about the specific
content of the newspapers they read.  The first question asked the young adults
to "(p)lease list the general topic of any stories/photos/other items you looked
at in that newspaper."  A second question asked "(w)as there anything you read
or saw in that newspaper that you wanted more information about?  If so, what?"
The third question about newspaper content asked "(w)as there anything in the
newspaper that you were looking for and did not find? If so, what?"
        The third segment of questions asked the respondents to speculate about their
newspaper reading.  The first asked "(c)an you think of any ways in which a
newspaper helps you live your life, make decisions, teach you how to do things,
etc.?"  The question that followed was, "(c)an you think of any ways a newspaper
could help you live your life, make decisions, teach you how to do things,
etc.?"  The final question, which asked the participants to speculate about
their newspaper reading, was, "(w)hat information (on any topic) would help you
make choices and decisions in your life?"
        Another question analyzed newspaper reading in the Information Age.  This
question asked, "(i)f you use a computer to obtain news or information, what
types of news or information do you access via computer?"
        Amid various demographic questions, respondents were asked whether they
subscribe to newspapers, and, if so, which ones.
Results
        This study demonstrates that young adults are reading newspapers.  The majority
of students (68.43%) participating in the study had read a newspaper within the
past week (see Table 1).  The most frequent response given for the last time
they read a newspaper was "yesterday," which was cited by 63 of the 267
respondents.  Another 25 had read a newspaper "today."  Four students said it
had been a year since they had read a newspaper.
 
______________
Insert Table 1
______________
        The top three newspapers read by the students were metropolitan dailies (see
Table 2).  The Detroit News, Ann Arbor News, and Detroit Free Press garnered the
highest readership, respectively.  Under their Joint Operating Agreement, the
two Detroit newspapers publish a combined Sunday edition.  If readership totals
for the Detroit News, Detroit Free Press, and their Sunday edition are combined,
the Detroit metros were read by 43.93% (118) of the students.  This is despite
the fact that the Detroit newspapers were a year into a labor strike at the time
of this study.
        As shown in Table 2, USA Today was the most recent newspaper read by 3.57% (10)
of the students, while another 3.21% (9) said they had read the campus newspaper
most recently.  A total of 58 students listed other metropolitan newspapers
(including Flint Journal, Lansing State Journal, Cincinnati Enquirer) and
community newspapers (Livonia Observer, Sandusky Register) as the ones they had
read most recently.
______________
Insert Table 2
______________
        Of the total respondents, 22.84% said they subscribe to a newspaper (see Table
3).  As shown in Table 3, the top three newspapers subscribed to were the Ann
Arbor News, Detroit News, and Detroit Free Press.  A large number of
subscriptions were to local, presumably "hometown" newspapers in nearby
communities and other areas of the state.  One student subscribed to USA Today.
______________
Insert Table 3
______________
        Five students reported that they subscribe to electronic newspapers.  However,
when asked to identify those newspapers, four listed online services (America
Online, Netscape, and Prodigy), while the fifth student said he/she subscribed
to the "one I wanted at that time."
        Participants responded to open-ended questions asking what general topic(s) of
stories/photos/other items they had read/looked at in the most recent newspaper
they read.  When these open-ended responses were collapsed into categories (see
Table 4), "news" emerged as the
largest single type of story/photo/item read/seen (313 responses).  Not only
were hard news stories the most frequently cited, but when students listed
several stories that were read, they usually listed the hard news story first.
As described earlier, hard news typically includes breaking news (i.e., crime,
accidents, fires), as well as stories from traditional news beats, such as
government and business.  Undoubtedly, students could be reading hard news first
merely because it usually is presented first in the paper's layout.  Still, this
interest in hard news does seem to indicate that students are not skipping the
newspaper's front page.  A comment from one participant supported this
contention.  The student said the most interesting part of the paper was "the
front page.  I like reading about headlines and top news in my community."
Another professed the most interest in "local news, because it's local."
        After the category of news were stories/items that could be categorized as
entertainment (208), advertising (124), sports (119), features (76), business
(43), comment (13), and photos (7).  Within the entertainment category, comics
and general entertainment news were the most-cited types of items.  However,
many of the other entertainment stories read were those that provided
information beyond simple diversion.  For example, the students often said they
turned to the entertainment section for movie listings, horoscopes, advice, TV
listings, crossword puzzles, events calendars, and reviews.  One student's
response, "Entertainment -- because I can see what is going on for the weekend,"
was typical among those who said they read the entertainment section.
        More than a third of the young adults participating in the study said they read
the advertisements.  They read the classifieds and the sale circulars.  Again,
this is information they can use.  In several cases, it was information the
respondents felt they needed.  They said they read "auto sales because I'm in
the market for a new car," "store advertisements because I was currently getting
ready to shop for some stuff and I was looking for some deals," and "classifieds
because I need a job very badly!"
        Though fourth on the overall readership list, sports stories have a strong
following within the category.  Asked to list the topics of stories/items they
had looked at, some students gave these responses:  "Hockey, Olympic torch,
personal ads, sports section, living section," "Olympics soccer games,
editorials, business, J-leagues, any other sports," and, "Hockey, basketball,
weather."
______________
Insert Table 4
______________
        Asked whether there was anything they had read or seen in the newspaper that
they wanted more information about, more than a third (37.50%) of the
participants who responded to the question said they wanted more detail and/or
follow-up information on news events reported (see Table 5).  When citing
stories/items about which they wanted further information, the young adults most
often said they wanted more detail and/or follow-up information on news events.
Some said they wanted to know "how to contact someone for more information" and
"the entire story."  One requested "more in-depth coverage of business trends
and local markets, also with other sports coverage (not football, basketball,
and baseball)" and another, "a better weather page."  One student commented, "A
lot of times I see stories of people who went in hospitals or are recovering.
How are they now?  How's the DeLisle family?  People who go to prison you never
hear about again.  What happened to Timothy McVeigh?"
        More information on entertainment items was sought by 23.61% of the students,
while 13.89% wanted more detailed advertisements.
______________
Insert Table 5
______________
        The respondents also were asked whether they had been looking for something in
the newspaper and had not found it (see Table 6).  Only 38 said they had, but,
of those, 14 wanted details on events and/or follow-up information.  Seven said
they were looking for specific advertisements and did not find them.  Some said
they were seeking an advertisement or detail on an event and it wasn't there.
The comments, "more information on international affairs D especially events in
the Middle East," "follow-up stories on murder or major art theft crimes," and,
"a breaking story on the news the previous day," were examples of responses
explaining what information they sought unsuccessfully.
 
______________
Insert Table 6
______________
        Describing ways a newspaper "helps you live your life, make decisions,
teach(es) you how to do things, etc.," students said it informs them about
issues, helps them make purchase decisions, informs them about entertainment
events, and helps them make weather- and health-related decisions (see Table 7).
In a similar vein, students said that a newspaper could help them live their
lives primarily by giving advice/information on decisions (see Table 8).
Specifically, the information that respondents said would be helpful to them
includes that on health, money, political views of candidates, and other
decision-filled areas of their lives (see Table 9).  While seeking advice,
several students suggested that newspapers need to be more balanced in their
presentation of news and information, giving many viewpoints.  "I suppose
political information could help if I wasn't so concerned about the source of
the information," one student wrote.
_________________
Insert Tables 7, 8, & 9
_________________
        A total of 132 of the 267 respondents said they use a computer to access
information (see Table 10).  Of those, 45 said they use the computer to do
research for school/work and another 24 said they use it to obtain news.
______________
Insert Table 10
______________
 
Conclusions
        Both research questions D investigating what newspaper readership choices young
adults are making and what changes newspapers might make to better appeal to
young adults D generated interesting results.  The implications of these
findings are discussed here.
        Amid widespread reports that college-aged adults are not forming relationships
with newspapers, this study indicates that many at least are giving newspapers a
chance.  They are picking them up, looking at them, and, sometimes, subscribing
to them.  More than two-thirds of the young adults surveyed read a newspaper
within the past week.  Nearly a quarter read a newspaper "yesterday."  One-fifth
are subscribing to newspapers.
        This investigation does show "yesterday" readership among college students to
be down from the levels Bogart (1989) recorded in 1987.  However, this study
supports the 1996 findings of the American Society of Newspaper Editors, which
indicated that two-thirds of 16- to 29-year-olds do read newspapers.
        Clearly, the news about young readers is not all negative.
        In addition to looking at whether college students are reading newspapers,
Research Question One opened an exploration of what the young adults are
reading.  Topping the list were major newspapers of nearby metropolitan areas.
However, a sizable number of students said that community newspapers D both
dailies and weeklies D were the last papers they had read.  The diversity in the
newspapers named by students suggests that college students remain readers of
their hometown newspapers even when attending a university in another city.
Very few of the respondents said the last paper they read was USA Today.  This
is interesting considering USA Today's  purported popularity with younger
readers.
        Within the newspapers they read, young adults are looking first at hard news.
This study was conducted during a presidential election year which saw numerous
other "big" news stories, including the TWA Flight 800 crash in New York, the
1996 Olympics, the bombing in Atlanta during the Olympics, and a local Ku Klux
Klan rally.  Those stories were read by this college audience.
        This strong interest in hard news seems to contradict Bogart's findings (1989)
that readers under 35 are not interested in political news or current events.
Instead, it more closely follows the Simms (1993) research indicating that young
readers want hard news, but from a younger point of view.
        Entertainment stories D often touted as the way to lure younger readers D
placed second to news.  Also, the study offered some evidence that young adults
look to entertainment news to supplement their information, but not to replace
hard news.  "The entertainment section was interesting. Talking about new music
groups, TV shows, and what they are about," one student wrote, before adding,
"Also I love the nation/world section.  It's really interesting to know what's
going around in other parts of the world."
        These rankings are consistent with those of Stone and Boudreau (1995), who
found that readers 18-24 had increased interest in news, weather, sports, and
advertisements over the decade between 1984 and 1994.
        Perhaps one surprise in this study is that readership of advertising eclipsed
that of sports.  This is despite the fact that the 1996 Olympics were under way.
There were a few comments about Olympic burnout, and some evidence that the
Atlanta bombing had taken attention away from the Olympics' sporting events.
        Sometimes, the students opened their newspapers looking for information and did
not find it.  The respondents wanted follow-up details on yesterday's story, or
they wanted to see a certain retailer's ad, and they expected to be able to find
it in their newspaper.
        Two themes emerged when students were asked how a newspaper helps them live
their lives D and how it could help them.  The students indicated that they look
to newspapers to inform them about issues and to help them make decisions.  They
said they could use some advice about health issues, money, politics, and
consumer issues, for example.  This lends support to the Newspaper Research
Project (Bogart, 1991) contention that some of the news young readers want may
lie outside traditional newspaper beats.
        In summary, these responses indicate that young adult readers are turning to
newspapers for news and information, though they sometimes turn away with
unanswered questions.  Students are looking to newspapers for information about
living their lives, but they often feel they are not getting this help.  This
may be good news for newspapers.  These trends seem to offer opportunities for
newspapers to expand their role within a competitive media market by further
developing their longstanding strengths as providers of news and information.
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 Table 1
Last Time Read Newspaper
 
     Day                     Frequency          Percentage
Yesterday                       63                      23.77%
2 days ago                      43                      16.23%
Today                   25                        9.43%
3 days ago                      22                        8.30%
4 days ago                      22                        8.30%
30 days ago             14                        5.28%
14 days ago             11                        4.15%
5 days ago                        8                       3.02%
7 days ago                        7                       2.64%
10 days ago               6                       2.26%
8 days ago                        5                       1.89%
9 days ago                        4                       1.51%
60 days ago               4                       1.51%
365 days ago              4                       1.51%
11 days ago               3                       1.13%
12 days ago               3                       1.13%
13 days ago               2                         .75%
21 days ago               2                         .75%
42 days ago               2                         .75%
90 days ago               2                         .75%
120 days ago              2                         .75%
 
 
                                                        (table continues)
 Table 1 (continued)
 
     Day                     Frequency       Percentage
6 days ago                        1                         .38%
17 days ago               1                         .38%
27 days ago               1                         .38%
sometime this month       1                         .38%
49 days ago               1                         .38%
75 days ago               1                         .38%
180 days ago              1                         .38%
210 days ago              1                         .38%
121 days ago              1                         .38%
several months ago        1                         .38%
"?"                               1                         .38%
 
Note.  N=265.  Two respondents did not answer.
 
 Table 2
 
Last Newspaper Read
 
        Variable                          Frequency    Percentage
Detroit News                            62           22.14%
Ann Arbor News                          61           21.79%
Detroit Free Press                              49           17.50%
Ypsilanti Press
   (edition of Ann Arbor News)          12             4.29%
USA Today                                       10             3.57%
Eastern Echo                              9            3.21%
Detroit News and Free Press
   (combined Sunday edition)              7            2.50%
Monroe Evening News                       7            2.50%
Oakland Press                             7            2.50%
Flint Journal                             6            2.14%
Michigan Chronicle                        5            1.79%
New York Times                            5            1.79%
Adrian Daily Telegram                     3            1.07%
Downriver News-Herald                     3            1.07%
Jackson Citizen-Patriot                   3            1.07%
Lansing State Journal                     2             .71%
Livonia Observer                                  2             .71%
Wall Street Journal                       2             .71%
"?"                                               2             .71%
 
                                                        (table continues)
 Table 2 (continued)
 
        Variable                          Frequency    Percentage
Ann Arbor Agenda                        1               .36%
Ann Arbor Observer                      1               .36%
Atlanta Constitution                    1               .36%
Barron's                                        1               .36%
Brighton paper                          1               .36%
Canton Observer                         1               .36%
Cincinnati Enquirer                     1               .36%
Dearborn Times Herald                   1               .36%
Detroit Observer                                1               .36%
Detroit Sunday Journal                  1               .36%
Grand Rapids Press                      1               .36%
Grosse Pointe News                      1               .36%
Holland Sentinel                                1               .36%
Iowa Register                           1               .36%
Islam                                   1               .36%
Milford Times                           1               .36%
Plymouth Observer                       1               .36%
Sandusky Register                       1               .36%
Southfield Eccentric                    1               .36%
St. Louis Times                         1               .36%
Toledo Blade                            1               .36%
 
                                                        (table continues)
 Table 2 (continued)
 
        Variable                          Frequency    Percentage
Yomiuri, Sankei                         1               .35%
"Local paper"                           1               .35%
 
Note.  A total of 267 respondents listed 280 answers as to what newspapers they
last read.  Percentages are frequency of responses divided by total responses.
 
 
 Table 3
Newspaper Subscriptions
 
        Newspaper               Frequency            %          %
                                                    n=61       N=267
Ann Arbor News                  15         24.59%       5.62%
Detroit News                    14         22.95%       5.24%
Detroit Free Press                      12         19.67%       4.49%
Detroit News and Free Press
   (combined Sunday edition)      3          4.92%      1.07%
Monroe Evening News               3          4.92%      1.07%
Adrian Daily Telegram             1          1.64%        .37%
Cosmo                             1          1.64%        .37%
Dearborn Press and Guide          1          1.64%        .37%
Farmington Observer               1          1.64%        .37%
Flint Journal                     1          1.64%        .37%
Jackson Citizen-Patriot           1          1.64%        .37%
Lansing State Journal             1          1.64%        .37%
Milford Times                     1          1.64%        .37%
Toledo Blade                      1          1.64%        .37%
USA Today                                 1          1.64%        .37%
World News                                1          1.64%        .37%
Yomiuri, Sankei                   1          1.64%        .37%
Ypsilanti Press
   (edition of Ann Arbor News)    1          1.64%        .37%
 
                                                        (table continues)
 Table 3 (continued)
 
        Newspaper               Frequency            %              %
                                                    n=61        N=267
"Local paper"                 1             1.64%        .37%
None                              104                          38.95%
 
Note.  A total of 61 of the 267 participants said they subscribe to newspapers.
Percentages listed indicate the percentage of individual responses divided by
total responses (n=61), as well as the percentage of individual responses
divided by the overall N (N=267).
 
 Table 4
General Topics of Stories/Photos/Other
Looked at in Newspaper
 
Topic                                   Frequency
News                                            313
        Front page news                         59
        Local news                                      44
        Weather news                            32
        Plane crash                                     26
        International events                    21
        Police, court news                              19
        National political stories              15
        Obituaries                                      14
        Headlines                                       10
        News about local schools                  9
        Weddings, birth                           8
        Accidents                                         5
        Local government news                     5
        National news                             5
        Government issues                         5
        Current events                            4
        Drugs                                     3
        Environmental news                        3
 
                                                (table continues)
 Table 4 (continued)
 
Topic                                   Frequency
        KKK rally                                         3
        Olympic bombing                   3
        Boy with disease                                  2
        Education issues                                  2
        Immigration                               2
        Child Custody Case                        1
        Gangs                                     1
        Gay marriage                              1
        Government                                1
        Hispanic issues                           1
        Law                                               1
        Layoffs                                   1
        Mafia                                     1
        Racism                                    1
        Space                                     1
        Strikes                                   1
        Taxes                                     1
        Week in review                            1
        Welfare                                   1
Entertainment                           208
        Comics                                  63
        Entertainment                           42
 
                                                (table continues)
 Table 4 (continued)
 
Topic                                   Frequency
        Movie listings                          39
        Horoscope                                       25
        Advice columns                            8
        TV guide                                          8
        Crossword                                         5
        Local art issues/art                      5
        Events                                    2
        Lotto                                             2
        Movie reviews                             2
        Book review                               1
        Concert reviews                           1
        Concert schedules                         1
        Music                                     1
        Reviews                                   1
        Scrabble                                          1
        Word Search                               1
Advertising                                     124
        Classified ads                          60
        Advertising                                     19
        Other merchant ads                      11
        Real estate ads                         11
        Car ads                                   7
 
                                                (table continues)
 Table 4 (continued)
 
Topic                                   Frequency
        Employment ads                            7
        Coupons                                   5
        Apartment ads                             2
        Grocery ads                               1
        Personals                                         1
Sports                                  119
        Sports                                  83
        Olympic sports                          23
        Professional sports                     11
        College sports                            1
        Junior leagues                            1
Features                                         76
        Features                                        21
        Health news                             12
        Food/recipes                              6
        Travel                                    6
        Fashion                                   4
        Science                                   4
        Stories about young people                4
        Auto                                              2
        Children                                          2
        Daily living                              2
 
                                                (table continues)
 Table 4 (continued)
 
Topic                                   Frequency
        Animals                                   1
        Astronomy                                         1
        Computers                                         1
        History                                   1
        Kudos                                     1
        Olympic burnout                           1
        Parade magazine                           1
        Poems                                     1
        Sex                                               1
        Social issues                             1
        Society pages                             1
        Technology                                        1
        Women's                                   1
Business                                         43
        Homes and real estate                   12
        Business news                           11
        Stock reports                           11
        Money                                     7
        Local Italian food store                          1
        Public relations                                  1
Comment                                  13
        Editorial/Comment pages         13
 
                                                (table continues)
 Table 4 (continued)
 
Topic                                   Frequency
Photos                                     7
        Photos                                    4
        Front page photos                         2
        Stories with photos                       1
        Everything                                        1
        None                                              1
 
Note:  A total of 267 students provided 905 responses.
 
 
 Table 5
Additional Information Wanted
 
     Topic(s)        Frequency         Percentage
More detail/follow-up
on news event           27                      37.50%
Entertainment           17                      23.61%
More detailed ads       10                      13.89%
Sports                    5                       6.94%
Arts                              3                       4.17%
Business news             3                       4.17%
Classes in community      2                       2.78%
Everything                        1                       1.39%
Internet                          1                       1.39%
Pictures                          1                       1.39%
Travel                    1                       1.39%
Yes, but I can't recall   1                       1.39%
How to get more info.     1                       1.39%
Better weather info.      1                       1.39%
Background                1                       1.39%
 
Note.  A total of 72 of the 267 participants wanted additional information.  The
percentages listed represent the frequency of the responses divided by the total
number of responses.
 
 
 Table 6
Newspaper Items Sought But Not Found
 
     Item(s)                      Frequency            Percentage
Specific ad                             7               18.42%
Details on events                       6               15.72%
Follow-ups                              4               10.53%
More detailed sports            4               10.53%
Horoscope                               3                 7.89%
Movies                          2                 5.26%
Positive stories                        2                 5.26%
International news              2                 5.26%
Free money                              1                 2.63%
Recipes                         1                 2.63%
A story on a poll (for class)   1                 2.63%
More science news               1                 2.63%
More interesting stuff to read  1                 2.63%
Decent funnies                  1                 2.63%
Travel                          1                 2.63%
Sexual tips                             1                 2.63%
 
Note.  A total of 38 of the 267 participants sought items in the newspapers
without finding them.  The percentages represent the frequency of the responses
divided by the total number of responses.
 
 Table 7
Ways a Newspaper "Helps You Live Your Life"
 
        Way(s)                  Frequency       Percentage
Informs me about issues      51      27.57%
Make decisions on purchases          23      12.43%
Inform me about
movies/concerts/events               21      11.35%
Make weather-related decisions    18           9.73%
Make health-related decisions        14        7.57%
Make decisions about life            12        6.49%
Make recipes                         11        5.95%
Learn how-to do something            10        5.41%
Find a job                                     8               4.32%
Make voting decisions                  8               4.32%
Warn me
about crime/safety issues              5               2.70%
Start campfires                        1                 .54%
Advertise my business                  1                 .54%
Avoid roads under construction     1             .54%
Make me laugh (comics)         1                 .54%
 
Note.  A total of 185 of the 267 participants listed responses.  The percentages
represent the frequency of the responses divided by the total number of
responses.
 
 
 Table 8
Ways a Newspaper Could Help Live Life
 
        Way(s)             Frequency    Percentage
Advice/information
   on decisions                 17                 22.67%
Tell you what's going on        15                 20.00%
Money issues                      9                12.00%
Be less biased                    8                10.67%
Health information                6                  8.00%
Employment/jobs           4                  5.33%
More/better ads                   3                  4.00%
Make me aware
   of social issues                       3                  4.00%
Weather                           3                  4.00%
Be more positive                          2                  2.67%
Bring people together
   (network)                      1                  1.34%
Improve intelligence              1                  1.34%
 
                                                (table continues)
 Table 8 (continued)
 
        Way(s)             Frequency    Percentage
Inform about classes              1                  1.34%
Put newspaper online
   to save paper                          1                  1.34%
Who to contact
   for more information           1                  1.34%
 
Note.  A total of 75 of the 267 participants listed responses.  The percentages
represent the frequency of the responses divided by the total number of
responses.
 
 
 Table 9
Information That Would Be Helpful
 
        Information        Frequency       Percentage
Health information              26              21.49%
Money information
   (interest rates, jobs)               24              19.83%
Political views of candidates   15              12.40%
Information/advice
   on decisions                 11                9.10%
Education issues                        6                 4.96%
Weather-related decisions       6                 4.96%
More viewpoints                 4                 3.31%
Entertainment news              3                 2.48%
Sports                          3                 2.48%
Religion                                2                 1.65%
Where to live/work              2                 1.65%
Features                                2                 1.65%
Local news                              2                 1.65%
Real-life situations            2                 1.65%
Teen topics                             2                 1.65%
Crime/safety issues             1                   .83%
Everything                              1                   .83%
Fashion                         1                   .83%
Gay issues                              1                   .83%
 
                                                (table continues)
Table 9 (continued)
 
        Information        Frequency       Percentage
Horoscope                               1                   .83%
How I can make a difference     1                   .83%
How-to crafts                   1                   .83%
How-to
   on environmental issues      1                   .83%
Science/technology              1                   .83%
Variety                         1                   .83%
Wars                                    1                   .83%
 
Note.  A total of 121 of the 267 participants listed responses.  The percentages
represent the frequency of the responses divided by the total number of
responses.
 
 Table 10
Type of Information Accessed by Computer
 
     Information                     Frequency    Percentage
Research for school/work        45                     34.10%
News                                    24                     18.18%
Surfing                         18                     13.64%
Entertainment                   11                      8.33%
Sports                            6                     4.55%
Weather                           6                     4.55%
Travel                            5                     3.79%
Financial news, stocks            4                     3.03%
Spirituality                              3                     2.27%
History                           2                     1.52%
Magazines                                 1                       .76%
Computer programs                 1                       .76%
Information on cars               1                       .76%
Politics                                  1                       .76%
Better weather information        1                       .76%
Background                        1                       .76%
E-mail                            1                       .76%
Soap opera updates                1                       .75%
 
Note.  A total of 132 of the 267 participants listed responses.  Percentages
represent the frequency of the responses divided by the total number of
responses.
 
 
ABSTRACT
 
NEWSPAPER READERSHIP CHOICES OF YOUNG ADULTS
 
        This study looks at trends in newspaper readership among the
18-to-34 age group and examines some of the choices young adults make when
reading newspapers.  Specifically, this study explores what types of newspapers
young adults read, what stories they read in those papers and what information
they would like newspapers to give them.  Some suggestions are offered for
changing newspapers to make their content more appealing to young adults.
 
Participants in this study (N=267) were students enrolled in
100- and 200-level English courses at a medium midwestern public university.
Courses that comprise the framework for this sample were selected because they
could fulfill "basic studies" requirements for all majors.  A basic studies
course is one that is listed within the core curriculum required for all
students.  The researcher obtained permission from seven professors to
distribute questionnaires  in the eight classes during regularly scheduled class
periods.  The students' participation was voluntary.  The goal of this sampling
procedure was to reach a broad cross-section of students representing various
fields of study.  A total of 53 majors was represented by the sample.
        Of the 267 students who participated in the study, 65 (24.34%) were male and
177 (66.29%) were female.  A total of 25 participants chose not to divulge their
genders.  Ages ranged from 17 to 56, with a mean age of 23.6 years.  This mean
does not include the 32 respondents who declined to give their ages.  A total of
157 participants (58.80%) said they were of the Caucasian race, 59 (22.09%)
African American, 10 (3.75%) Asian, five (1.87%) African/Native American, two
(.75%) Hispanic, two (.75%) Native American, and one (.37%) Arabic.  Most (214)
of the students were enrolled full time, whereas a few (28) were part-time
students.  The class rank breakdown was:  freshmen, 45 (16.85%); sophomores, 15
(5.62%); juniors, 33 (12.36%); seniors, 133 (49.81%); and graduate students, 16
(5.99%).
 Procedure
        Questionnaires were distributed and collected by the investigator.  In each of
the eight classes, the researcher introduced herself to the students as a
journalism professor who was conducting a study on students' use of newspapers
and other media.  Each questionnaire included a cover letter with the
researcher's name, address, and phone number.  The researcher provided pencils
and was available to answer questions if anyone needed further assistance.  The
average time spent on the questionnaires was 20 minutes, with some individual
students taking as long as an hour.  Approximately six students asked to take
the questionnaires home to finish.  They returned the questionnaires to the
researcher's mailbox within a couple of days.
Materials & Equipment
        The purpose of the questionnaire was to gather young adults' self-report
responses to inquiries about their newspaper use.  The first two questions asked
the respondents to "(p)lease write the date (as close as you can estimate) when
you last read a newspaper" and "(p)lease write the name of that newspaper."
        Another set of three questions queried the participants about the specific
content of the newspapers they read.  The first question asked the young adults
to "(p)lease list the general topic of any stories/photos/other items you looked
at in that newspaper."  A second question asked "(w)as there anything you read
or saw in that newspaper that you wanted more information about?  If so, what?"
The third question about newspaper content asked "(w)as there anything in the
newspaper that you were looking for and did not find? If so, what?"
        The third segment of questions asked the respondents to speculate about their
newspaper reading.  The first asked "(c)an you think of any ways in which a
newspaper helps you live your life, make decisions, teach you how to do things,
etc.?"  The question that followed was, "(c)an you think of any ways a newspaper
could help you live your life, make decisions, teach you how to do things,
etc.?"  The final question, which asked the participants to speculate about
their newspaper reading, was, "(w)hat information (on any topic) would help you
make choices and decisions in your life?"
        Another question analyzed newspaper reading in the Information Age.  This
question asked, "(i)f you use a computer to obtain news or information, what
types of news or information do you access via computer?"
        Amid various demographic questions, respondents were asked whether they
subscribe to newspapers, and, if so, which ones.
Results
        This study demonstrates that young adults are reading newspapers.  The majority
of students (68.43%) participating in the study had read a newspaper within the
past week (see Table 1).  The most frequent response given for the last time
they read a newspaper was "yesterday," which was cited by 63 of the 267
respondents.  Another 25 had read a newspaper "today."  Four students said it
had been a year since they had read a newspaper.
 
______________
Insert Table 1
______________
        The top three newspapers read by the students were metropolitan dailies (see
Table 2).  The Detroit News, Ann Arbor News, and Detroit Free Press garnered the
highest readership, respectively.  Under their Joint Operating Agreement, the
two Detroit newspapers publish a combined Sunday edition.  If readership totals
for the Detroit News, Detroit Free Press, and their Sunday edition are combined,
the Detroit metros were read by 43.93% (118) of the students.  This is despite
the fact that the Detroit newspapers were a year into a labor strike at the time
of this study.
        As shown in Table 2, USA Today was the most recent newspaper read by 3.57% (10)
of the students, while another 3.21% (9) said they had read the campus newspaper
most recently.  A total of 58 students listed other metropolitan newspapers
(including Flint Journal, Lansing State Journal, Cincinnati Enquirer) and
community newspapers (Livonia Observer, Sandusky Register) as the ones they had
read most recently.
______________
Insert Table 2
______________
        Of the total respondents, 22.84% said they subscribe to a newspaper (see Table
3).  As shown in Table 3, the top three newspapers subscribed to were the Ann
Arbor News, Detroit News, and Detroit Free Press.  A large number of
subscriptions were to local, presumably "hometown" newspapers in nearby
communities and other areas of the state.  One student subscribed to USA Today.
______________
Insert Table 3
______________
        Five students reported that they subscribe to electronic newspapers.  However,
when asked to identify those newspapers, four listed online services (America
Online, Netscape, and Prodigy), while the fifth student said he/she subscribed
to the "one I wanted at that time."
        Participants responded to open-ended questions asking what general topic(s) of
stories/photos/other items they had read/looked at in the most recent newspaper
they read.  When these open-ended responses were collapsed into categories (see
Table 4), "news" emerged as the
largest single type of story/photo/item read/seen (313 responses).  Not only
were hard news stories the most frequently cited, but when students listed
several stories that were read, they usually listed the hard news story first.
As described earlier, hard news typically includes breaking news (i.e., crime,
accidents, fires), as well as stories from traditional news beats, such as
government and business.  Undoubtedly, students could be reading hard news first
merely because it usually is presented first in the paper's layout.  Still, this
interest in hard news does seem to indicate that students are not skipping the
newspaper's front page.  A comment from one participant supported this
contention.  The student said the most interesting part of the paper was "the
front page.  I like reading about headlines and top news in my community."
Another professed the most interest in "local news, because it's local."
        After the category of news were stories/items that could be categorized as
entertainment (208), advertising (124), sports (119), features (76), business
(43), comment (13), and photos (7).  Within the entertainment category, comics
and general entertainment news were the most-cited types of items.  However,
many of the other entertainment stories read were those that provided
information beyond simple diversion.  For example, the students often said they
turned to the entertainment section for movie listings, horoscopes, advice, TV
listings, crossword puzzles, events calendars, and reviews.  One student's
response, "Entertainment -- because I can see what is going on for the weekend,"
was typical among those who said they read the entertainment section.
        More than a third of the young adults participating in the study said they read
the advertisements.  They read the classifieds and the sale circulars.  Again,
this is information they can use.  In several cases, it was information the
respondents felt they needed.  They said they read "auto sales because I'm in
the market for a new car," "store advertisements because I was currently getting
ready to shop for some stuff and I was looking for some deals," and "classifieds
because I need a job very badly!"
        Though fourth on the overall readership list, sports stories have a strong
following within the category.  Asked to list the topics of stories/items they
had looked at, some students gave these responses:  "Hockey, Olympic torch,
personal ads, sports section, living section," "Olympics soccer games,
editorials, business, J-leagues, any other sports," and, "Hockey, basketball,
weather."
______________
Insert Table 4
______________
        Asked whether there was anything they had read or seen in the newspaper that
they wanted more information about, more than a third (37.50%) of the
participants who responded to the question said they wanted more detail and/or
follow-up information on news events reported (see Table 5).  When citing
stories/items about which they wanted further information, the young adults most
often said they wanted more detail and/or follow-up information on news events.
Some said they wanted to know "how to contact someone for more information" and
"the entire story."  One requested "more in-depth coverage of business trends
and local markets, also with other sports coverage (not football, basketball,
and baseball)" and another, "a better weather page."  One student commented, "A
lot of times I see stories of people who went in hospitals or are recovering.
How are they now?  How's the DeLisle family?  People who go to prison you never
hear about again.  What happened to Timothy McVeigh?"
        More information on entertainment items was sought by 23.61% of the students,
while 13.89% wanted more detailed advertisements.
______________
Insert Table 5
______________
        The respondents also were asked whether they had been looking for something in
the newspaper and had not found it (see Table 6).  Only 38 said they had, but,
of those, 14 wanted details on events and/or follow-up information.  Seven said
they were looking for specific advertisements and did not find them.  Some said
they were seeking an advertisement or detail on an event and it wasn't there.
The comments, "more information on international affairs D especially events in
the Middle East," "follow-up stories on murder or major art theft crimes," and,
"a breaking story on the news the previous day," were examples of responses
explaining what information they sought unsuccessfully.
 
______________
Insert Table 6
______________
        Describing ways a newspaper "helps you live your life, make decisions,
teach(es) you how to do things, etc.," students said it informs them about
issues, helps them make purchase decisions, informs them about entertainment
events, and helps them make weather- and health-related decisions (see Table 7).
In a similar vein, students said that a newspaper could help them live their
lives primarily by giving advice/information on decisions (see Table 8).
Specifically, the information that respondents said would be helpful to them
includes that on health, money, political views of candidates, and other
decision-filled areas of their lives (see Table 9).  While seeking advice,
several students suggested that newspapers need to be more balanced in their
presentation of news and information, giving many viewpoints.  "I suppose
political information could help if I wasn't so concerned about the source of
the information," one student wrote.
_________________
Insert Tables 7, 8, & 9
_________________
        A total of 132 of the 267 respondents said they use a computer to access
information (see Table 10).  Of those, 45 said they use the computer to do
research for school/work and another 24 said they use it to obtain news.
______________
Insert Table 10
______________
 
Conclusions
        Both research questions D investigating what newspaper readership choices young
adults are making and what changes newspapers might make to better appeal to
young adults D generated interesting results.  The implications of these
findings are discussed here.
        Amid widespread reports that college-aged adults are not forming relationships
with newspapers, this study indicates that many at least are giving newspapers a
chance.  They are picking them up, looking at them, and, sometimes, subscribing
to them.  More than two-thirds of the young adults surveyed read a newspaper
within the past week.  Nearly a quarter read a newspaper "yesterday."  One-fifth
are subscribing to newspapers.
        This investigation does show "yesterday" readership among college students to
be down from the levels Bogart (1989) recorded in 1987.  However, this study
supports the 1996 findings of the American Society of Newspaper Editors, which
indicated that two-thirds of 16- to 29-year-olds do read newspapers.
        Clearly, the news about young readers is not all negative.
        In addition to looking at whether college students are reading newspapers,
Research Question One opened an exploration of what the young adults are
reading.  Topping the list were major newspapers of nearby metropolitan areas.
However, a sizable number of students said that community newspapers D both
dailies and weeklies D were the last papers they had read.  The diversity in the
newspapers named by students suggests that college students remain readers of
their hometown newspapers even when attending a university in another city.
Very few of the respondents said the last paper they read was USA Today.  This
is interesting considering USA Today's  purported popularity with younger
readers.
        Within the newspapers they read, young adults are looking first at hard news.
This study was conducted during a presidential election year which saw numerous
other "big" news stories, including the TWA Flight 800 crash in New York, the
1996 Olympics, the bombing in Atlanta during the Olympics, and a local Ku Klux
Klan rally.  Those stories were read by this college audience.
        This strong interest in hard news seems to contradict Bogart's findings (1989)
that readers under 35 are not interested in political news or current events.
Instead, it more closely follows the Simms (1993) research indicating that young
readers want hard news, but from a younger point of view.
        Entertainment stories D often touted as the way to lure younger readers D
placed second to news.  Also, the study offered some evidence that young adults
look to entertainment news to supplement their information, but not to replace
hard news.  "The entertainment section was interesting. Talking about new music
groups, TV shows, and what they are about," one student wrote, before adding,
"Also I love the nation/world section.  It's really interesting to know what's
going around in other parts of the world."
        These rankings are consistent with those of Stone and Boudreau (1995), who
found that readers 18-24 had increased interest in news, weather, sports, and
advertisements over the decade between 1984 and 1994.
        Perhaps one surprise in this study is that readership of advertising eclipsed
that of sports.  This is despite the fact that the 1996 Olympics were under way.
There were a few comments about Olympic burnout, and some evidence that the
Atlanta bombing had taken attention away from the Olympics' sporting events.
        Sometimes, the students opened their newspapers looking for information and did
not find it.  The respondents wanted follow-up details on yesterday's story, or
they wanted to see a certain retailer's ad, and they expected to be able to find
it in their newspaper.
        Two themes emerged when students were asked how a newspaper helps them live
their lives D and how it could help them.  The students indicated that they look
to newspapers to inform them about issues and to help them make decisions.  They
said they could use some advice about health issues, money, politics, and
consumer issues, for example.  This lends support to the Newspaper Research
Project (Bogart, 1991) contention that some of the news young readers want may
lie outside traditional newspaper beats.
        In summary, these responses indicate that young adult readers are turning to
newspapers for news and information, though they sometimes turn away with
unanswered questions.  Students are looking to newspapers for information about
living their lives, but they often feel they are not getting this help.  This
may be good news for newspapers.  These trends seem to offer opportunities for
newspapers to expand their role within a competitive media market by further
developing their longstanding strengths as providers of news and information.
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 Table 1
Last Time Read Newspaper
 
     Day                     Frequency          Percentage
Yesterday                       63                      23.77%
2 days ago                      43                      16.23%
Today                   25                        9.43%
3 days ago                      22                        8.30%
4 days ago                      22                        8.30%
30 days ago             14                        5.28%
14 days ago             11                        4.15%
5 days ago                        8                       3.02%
7 days ago                        7                       2.64%
10 days ago               6                       2.26%
8 days ago                        5                       1.89%
9 days ago                        4                       1.51%
60 days ago               4                       1.51%
365 days ago              4                       1.51%
11 days ago               3                       1.13%
12 days ago               3                       1.13%
13 days ago               2                         .75%
21 days ago               2                         .75%
42 days ago               2                         .75%
90 days ago               2                         .75%
120 days ago              2                         .75%
 
 
                                                        (table continues)
 Table 1 (continued)
 
     Day                     Frequency       Percentage
6 days ago                        1                         .38%
17 days ago               1                         .38%
27 days ago               1                         .38%
sometime this month       1                         .38%
49 days ago               1                         .38%
75 days ago               1                         .38%
180 days ago              1                         .38%
210 days ago              1                         .38%
121 days ago              1                         .38%
several months ago        1                         .38%
"?"                               1                         .38%
 
Note.  N=265.  Two respondents did not answer.
 
 Table 2
 
Last Newspaper Read
 
        Variable                          Frequency    Percentage
Detroit News                            62           22.14%
Ann Arbor News                          61           21.79%
Detroit Free Press                              49           17.50%
Ypsilanti Press
   (edition of Ann Arbor News)          12             4.29%
USA Today                                       10             3.57%
Eastern Echo                              9            3.21%
Detroit News and Free Press
   (combined Sunday edition)              7            2.50%
Monroe Evening News                       7            2.50%
Oakland Press                             7            2.50%
Flint Journal                             6            2.14%
Michigan Chronicle                        5            1.79%
New York Times                            5            1.79%
Adrian Daily Telegram                     3            1.07%
Downriver News-Herald                     3            1.07%
Jackson Citizen-Patriot                   3            1.07%
Lansing State Journal                     2             .71%
Livonia Observer                                  2             .71%
Wall Street Journal                       2             .71%
"?"                                               2             .71%
 
                                                        (table continues)
 Table 2 (continued)
 
        Variable                          Frequency    Percentage
Ann Arbor Agenda                        1               .36%
Ann Arbor Observer                      1               .36%
Atlanta Constitution                    1               .36%
Barron's                                        1               .36%
Brighton paper                          1               .36%
Canton Observer                         1               .36%
Cincinnati Enquirer                     1               .36%
Dearborn Times Herald                   1               .36%
Detroit Observer                                1               .36%
Detroit Sunday Journal                  1               .36%
Grand Rapids Press                      1               .36%
Grosse Pointe News                      1               .36%
Holland Sentinel                                1               .36%
Iowa Register                           1               .36%
Islam                                   1               .36%
Milford Times                           1               .36%
Plymouth Observer                       1               .36%
Sandusky Register                       1               .36%
Southfield Eccentric                    1               .36%
St. Louis Times                         1               .36%
Toledo Blade                            1               .36%
 
                                                        (table continues)
 Table 2 (continued)
 
        Variable                          Frequency    Percentage
Yomiuri, Sankei                         1               .35%
"Local paper"                           1               .35%
 
Note.  A total of 267 respondents listed 280 answers as to what newspapers they
last read.  Percentages are frequency of responses divided by total responses.
 
 
 Table 3
Newspaper Subscriptions
 
        Newspaper               Frequency            %          %
                                                    n=61       N=267
Ann Arbor News                  15         24.59%       5.62%
Detroit News                    14         22.95%       5.24%
Detroit Free Press                      12         19.67%       4.49%
Detroit News and Free Press
   (combined Sunday edition)      3          4.92%      1.07%
Monroe Evening News               3          4.92%      1.07%
Adrian Daily Telegram             1          1.64%        .37%
Cosmo                             1          1.64%        .37%
Dearborn Press and Guide          1          1.64%        .37%
Farmington Observer               1          1.64%        .37%
Flint Journal                     1          1.64%        .37%
Jackson Citizen-Patriot           1          1.64%        .37%
Lansing State Journal             1          1.64%        .37%
Milford Times                     1          1.64%        .37%
Toledo Blade                      1          1.64%        .37%
USA Today                                 1          1.64%        .37%
World News                                1          1.64%        .37%
Yomiuri, Sankei                   1          1.64%        .37%
Ypsilanti Press
   (edition of Ann Arbor News)    1          1.64%        .37%
 
                                                        (table continues)
 Table 3 (continued)
 
        Newspaper               Frequency            %              %
                                                    n=61        N=267
"Local paper"                 1             1.64%        .37%
None                              104                          38.95%
 
Note.  A total of 61 of the 267 participants said they subscribe to newspapers.
Percentages listed indicate the percentage of individual responses divided by
total responses (n=61), as well as the percentage of individual responses
divided by the overall N (N=267).
 
 Table 4
General Topics of Stories/Photos/Other
Looked at in Newspaper
 
Topic                                   Frequency
News                                            313
        Front page news                         59
        Local news                                      44
        Weather news                            32
        Plane crash                                     26
        International events                    21
        Police, court news                              19
        National political stories              15
        Obituaries                                      14
        Headlines                                       10
        News about local schools                  9
        Weddings, birth                           8
        Accidents                                         5
        Local government news                     5
        National news                             5
        Government issues                         5
        Current events                            4
        Drugs                                     3
        Environmental news                        3
 
                                                (table continues)
 Table 4 (continued)
 
Topic                                   Frequency
        KKK rally                                         3
        Olympic bombing                   3
        Boy with disease                                  2
        Education issues                                  2
        Immigration                               2
        Child Custody Case                        1
        Gangs                                     1
        Gay marriage                              1
        Government                                1
        Hispanic issues                           1
        Law                                               1
        Layoffs                                   1
        Mafia                                     1
        Racism                                    1
        Space                                     1
        Strikes                                   1
        Taxes                                     1
        Week in review                            1
        Welfare                                   1
Entertainment                           208
        Comics                                  63
        Entertainment                           42
 
                                                (table continues)
 Table 4 (continued)
 
Topic                                   Frequency
        Movie listings                          39
        Horoscope                                       25
        Advice columns                            8
        TV guide                                          8
        Crossword                                         5
        Local art issues/art                      5
        Events                                    2
        Lotto                                             2
        Movie reviews                             2
        Book review                               1
        Concert reviews                           1
        Concert schedules                         1
        Music                                     1
        Reviews                                   1
        Scrabble                                          1
        Word Search                               1
Advertising                                     124
        Classified ads                          60
        Advertising                                     19
        Other merchant ads                      11
        Real estate ads                         11
        Car ads                                   7
 
                                                (table continues)
 Table 4 (continued)
 
Topic                                   Frequency
        Employment ads                            7
        Coupons                                   5
        Apartment ads                             2
        Grocery ads                               1
        Personals                                         1
Sports                                  119
        Sports                                  83
        Olympic sports                          23
        Professional sports                     11
        College sports                            1
        Junior leagues                            1
Features                                         76
        Features                                        21
        Health news                             12
        Food/recipes                              6
        Travel                                    6
        Fashion                                   4
        Science                                   4
        Stories about young people                4
        Auto                                              2
        Children                                          2
        Daily living                              2
 
                                                (table continues)
 Table 4 (continued)
 
Topic                                   Frequency
        Animals                                   1
        Astronomy                                         1
        Computers                                         1
        History                                   1
        Kudos                                     1
        Olympic burnout                           1
        Parade magazine                           1
        Poems                                     1
        Sex                                               1
        Social issues                             1
        Society pages                             1
        Technology                                        1
        Women's                                   1
Business                                         43
        Homes and real estate                   12
        Business news                           11
        Stock reports                           11
        Money                                     7
        Local Italian food store                          1
        Public relations                                  1
Comment                                  13
        Editorial/Comment pages         13
 
                                                (table continues)
 Table 4 (continued)
 
Topic                                   Frequency
Photos                                     7
        Photos                                    4
        Front page photos                         2
        Stories with photos                       1
        Everything                                        1
        None                                              1
 
Note:  A total of 267 students provided 905 responses.
 
 
 Table 5
Additional Information Wanted
 
     Topic(s)        Frequency         Percentage
More detail/follow-up
on news event           27                      37.50%
Entertainment           17                      23.61%
More detailed ads       10                      13.89%
Sports                    5                       6.94%
Arts                              3                       4.17%
Business news             3                       4.17%
Classes in community      2                       2.78%
Everything                        1                       1.39%
Internet                          1                       1.39%
Pictures                          1                       1.39%
Travel                    1                       1.39%
Yes, but I can't recall   1                       1.39%
How to get more info.     1                       1.39%
Better weather info.      1                       1.39%
Background                1                       1.39%
 
Note.  A total of 72 of the 267 participants wanted additional information.  The
percentages listed represent the frequency of the responses divided by the total
number of responses.
 
 
 Table 6
Newspaper Items Sought But Not Found
 
     Item(s)                      Frequency            Percentage
Specific ad                             7               18.42%
Details on events                       6               15.72%
Follow-ups                              4               10.53%
More detailed sports            4               10.53%
Horoscope                               3                 7.89%
Movies                          2                 5.26%
Positive stories                        2                 5.26%
International news              2                 5.26%
Free money                              1                 2.63%
Recipes                         1                 2.63%
A story on a poll (for class)   1                 2.63%
More science news               1                 2.63%
More interesting stuff to read  1                 2.63%
Decent funnies                  1                 2.63%
Travel                          1                 2.63%
Sexual tips                             1                 2.63%
 
Note.  A total of 38 of the 267 participants sought items in the newspapers
without finding them.  The percentages represent the frequency of the responses
divided by the total number of responses.
 
 Table 7
Ways a Newspaper "Helps You Live Your Life"
 
        Way(s)                  Frequency       Percentage
Informs me about issues      51      27.57%
Make decisions on purchases          23      12.43%
Inform me about
movies/concerts/events               21      11.35%
Make weather-related decisions    18           9.73%
Make health-related decisions        14        7.57%
Make decisions about life            12        6.49%
Make recipes                         11        5.95%
Learn how-to do something            10        5.41%
Find a job                                     8               4.32%
Make voting decisions                  8               4.32%
Warn me
about crime/safety issues              5               2.70%
Start campfires                        1                 .54%
Advertise my business                  1                 .54%
Avoid roads under construction     1             .54%
Make me laugh (comics)         1                 .54%
 
Note.  A total of 185 of the 267 participants listed responses.  The percentages
represent the frequency of the responses divided by the total number of
responses.
 
 
 Table 8
Ways a Newspaper Could Help Live Life
 
        Way(s)             Frequency    Percentage
Advice/information
   on decisions                 17                 22.67%
Tell you what's going on        15                 20.00%
Money issues                      9                12.00%
Be less biased                    8                10.67%
Health information                6                  8.00%
Employment/jobs           4                  5.33%
More/better ads                   3                  4.00%
Make me aware
   of social issues                       3                  4.00%
Weather                           3                  4.00%
Be more positive                          2                  2.67%
Bring people together
   (network)                      1                  1.34%
Improve intelligence              1                  1.34%
 
                                                (table continues)
 Table 8 (continued)
 
        Way(s)             Frequency    Percentage
Inform about classes              1                  1.34%
Put newspaper online
   to save paper                          1                  1.34%
Who to contact
   for more information           1                  1.34%
 
Note.  A total of 75 of the 267 participants listed responses.  The percentages
represent the frequency of the responses divided by the total number of
responses.
 
 
 Table 9
Information That Would Be Helpful
 
        Information        Frequency       Percentage
Health information              26              21.49%
Money information
   (interest rates, jobs)               24              19.83%
Political views of candidates   15              12.40%
Information/advice
   on decisions                 11                9.10%
Education issues                        6                 4.96%
Weather-related decisions       6                 4.96%
More viewpoints                 4                 3.31%
Entertainment news              3                 2.48%
Sports                          3                 2.48%
Religion                                2                 1.65%
Where to live/work              2                 1.65%
Features                                2                 1.65%
Local news                              2                 1.65%
Real-life situations            2                 1.65%
Teen topics                             2                 1.65%
Crime/safety issues             1                   .83%
Everything                              1                   .83%
Fashion                         1                   .83%
Gay issues                              1                   .83%
 
                                                (table continues)
Table 9 (continued)
 
        Information        Frequency       Percentage
Horoscope                               1                   .83%
How I can make a difference     1                   .83%
How-to crafts                   1                   .83%
How-to
   on environmental issues      1                   .83%
Science/technology              1                   .83%
Variety                         1                   .83%
Wars                                    1                   .83%
 
Note.  A total of 121 of the 267 participants listed responses.  The percentages
represent the frequency of the responses divided by the total number of
responses.
 
 Table 10
Type of Information Accessed by Computer
 
     Information                     Frequency    Percentage
Research for school/work        45                     34.10%
News                                    24                     18.18%
Surfing                         18                     13.64%
Entertainment                   11                      8.33%
Sports                            6                     4.55%
Weather                           6                     4.55%
Travel                            5                     3.79%
Financial news, stocks            4                     3.03%
Spirituality                              3                     2.27%
History                           2                     1.52%
Magazines                                 1                       .76%
Computer programs                 1                       .76%
Information on cars               1                       .76%
Politics                                  1                       .76%
Better weather information        1                       .76%
Background                        1                       .76%
E-mail                            1                       .76%
Soap opera updates                1                       .75%
 
Note.  A total of 132 of the 267 participants listed responses.  Percentages
represent the frequency of the responses divided by the total number of
responses.