1.
How People Learn About
Their Local Community
in a Digital Age
Kristen Purcell, Ph.D.
Associate Director, Research
Pew Internet Project
Canadian Security Intelligence Service
Informing (In)Stability Conference
February 21-22, 2012
Ottawa, Canada

2.
• Part of the Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan “fact tank” based in
Washington, DC that provides high quality, objective data to thought
leaders and policymakers
• PRC is funded primarily by the Pew Charitable Trusts
• Data for this talk is from nationally representative telephone survey of
2,251 U.S. adults age 18+ (on landlines and cell phones) conducted in
January 2011
• The survey was done in partnership with Pew’s Project for Excellence
in Journalism, and was funded by the Knight Foundation

3.
The Internet in 2000
Slow, stationary connections
46% of US adults used the internet built around a desktop
computer
5% had home broadband
connections
<20% watched video online
53% owned a cell phone
0% connected to internet wirelessly
0% used social network sites

4.
The Internet in 2012
Mobile devices have changed
the relationship between
82% of US adults use the internet, 76% information, time and space
of whom are online on any given day
2/3 have broadband at home
87% have a cell phone; 19% have a
tablet computer
2/3 are wireless internet users
71% of adult internet users watch We live in a
networked world,
video online
information is
embedded and
65% of online adults use SNS ambient

5.
What Makes This Study Unique?
Past research tended to ask a single question:
“Where do you go most often to get local news?’”
This survey asked about 16 different local topics and
the sources people relied on most for each topic
Resulting picture is a complex local news ecosystem;
people rely on different platforms for different topics
A few important notes….
”Local newspaper” includes print and web version
“TV news” includes broadcast and website
“Internet” includes web-only sources such as search
engines, special topic sites, and social networking sites

6.
Headlines from the Local News Survey
Local TV news remains most popular source for local
news in the US, yet adults rely on it primarily for just 3
subjects—weather, breaking news and traffic
American adults turn to local newspapers for a wider
range of information than any other source, yet for topics
followed by fewer people
The internet is now the top source on subjects such as
education, local businesses and restaurants/bars/clubs
Disruption lies ahead…
For the 79% of online American adults, the internet is the 1st or 2nd most relied-
upon source for 15 of 16 local topics
For adults under 40, the web is first for 11 of the top 16 topics—and a close
second on four others

7.
Bottom Line – Local News is a Complex Ecosystem
Different people rely on different sources
for different topics
Local news consumption habits vary
widely by age, as well as race/ethnicity,
community type, and other key factors
No one platform is outpacing another in
delivering all types of
community news and information
Roughly 2/3 use at least 3 media sources
every week to get local news —
and 15% rely on at least six weekly
45% do not have a favorite local news
source

8.
Popular Local Topics
The most popular of the 16 topics
asked about are…
weather (89%)
breaking news (80%)
local politics (67%)
crime (66%)
The least popular are…
government activities (42%)
local job openings (39%)
social services (35%)
zoning and development (30%)

9.
Most Frequently
Used Local News
Sources
Used at least weekly for
any local news…
Local TV
Word of Mouth
Radio
Newspaper
Internet
Print Newsletter

10.
Source by Topic:
The Preferred Source for 16 Local News Topics

11.
When Do Newspapers Top the List?
If your local newspaper no longer
existed, would that have a major
impact, minor impact, or no impact
on your ability to keep up with
information and news about your
local community?
69% say losing the local paper would
have no impact (39%)
or only a minor impact (30%)
Among adults age 18-29, 74% say losing
their local paper would not significantly
affect their ability to get local information
Similarly, 74% of home broadband users
say losing their paper would have only a
minor impact, if at all

12.
When Does Local TV Top the List?
Local TV is a critical source for
everyday news and
the most popular local topics
But, the internet is beginning to creep
into these territories

13.
When is the Internet a Top Source for Local News?
The internet has surpassed newspapers as a
source for national and international news…
and is now emerging as a
significant source for local news
Among all adults, the internet is the most
relied upon source for 5 of 16 local topics
Among online adults, the internet ranks first or
second on all but one topic (crime)

14.
The Impact of Mobile Devices and Geolocation
Mobile is slowly becoming a local news medium
47% of US adults use mobile devices to get local news and
information of some kind, but it’s still largely supplemental
Yet even now, 5% of US adults rely on a mobile app as their
main source for weather information
Percent of US adults who use a mobile device to…
check local weather (36%)
find local restaurants/businesses (31%)
get general news about their community (25%)
check local sports scores/updates (20%)
get local traffic/transportation info (19%)
get discounts/coupons for local stores (16%)
get local news alerts by text or email (13%)

15.
41% of US Adults are “Local News Participators”
They do at least one of the following:
25% share links to local stories/videos
16% comment on local news stories or blogs
they read online
16% post news or info about their local
community on a social networking site like
Facebook
8% contribute to online discussions or
message boards about their community
SNS are not yet a main source for local info
6% “tag” online local news content
Very small percentages named SNS as the place they
turn to most for any of the 16 local topics 5% contribute articles, opinion pieces, photos
Social networks ranked highest as a source for… or videos about their local community online
local restaurants (2%) 2% post news or info about their local
community events (2%) community on Twitter

16.
Into the Future: Apps and Augmented Reality

17.
The Future is Already Here
Age 18-39 Age 40+
weather
politics restaurants
crime local businesses
arts/cultural events The
local businesses internet
schools
is the
community events
restaurants main
traffic source
taxes for these
housing
topics
local government
jobs
social services
zoning/development

18.
All data available at pewinternet.org
Kristen Purcell, Ph.D.
Associate Director, Research
Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project
kpurcell@pewinternet.org
Twitter:
@pewinternet
@kristenpurcell