Simply because young adults are less likely to read a print newspaper compared with other age groups, many news professionals assume young people have lost interest in reading print newspapers. Although previous research has documented that most readers found the print newspaper to be more useful, satisfying, likeable, and enjoyable than its online counterpart, many within and outside the industry believe young people are an exception, and the way to retain young readers is to pursue them online. However, because no viable business models for online news seem to exist, it is important to re-visit some of the assumptions about young readers' attitudes toward online and print media. College newspapers provide a unique opportunity to test such assumptions because most college newspapers publish in both online and print formats, and both formats are offered for free. Additionally, their readers are college students ages 18-22 (the so-called "digital natives"), all with Internet access. A survey of 198 U.S. college newspaper advisers was conducted in 2011. The findings suggest that the print edition outperforms the Web edition in terms of readership and preference. The print edition generated the vast majority of advertising revenue. Print circulation in most cases has remained stable. And most college newspaper advisers do not believe an online-only model is feasible within the next five years. These results carry important implications for commercial newspapers as they envision the future of their industry.

1. Are “Digital Natives” Dropping
Print Newspapers?
A National Survey of College Newspaper
Advisers
H. Iris Chyi, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
School of Journalism
College of Communication
The University of Texas at Austin
Top rated research paper presented at the 13th International
Symposium on Online Journalism, Austin, Texas, April 20-21,
2012

2. What everyone knows
• No. 1: Young adults are less likely to
read a print newspaper compared with
other age groups.
• No. 2: Younger people are more likely to
spend time online compared with other
age groups.

3. Widely accepted assumption
• Young people are dropping print
newspapers in favor of online news
sources.
• Nine out of ten journalists believed young
adults prefer online news to print news
(Kaufhold, 2010).

4. Industry response
• Newspapers have shifted substantial
amount of dwindling resources from
print to online.
• The Web is newspapers’ No. 1 priority for
attracting young readers (Graybeal, 2011).

5. In reality
• Young people are not using technologies
to get news at higher rates than do older
people (Pew Research Center, 2010).

6. Previous research
• Most people find the print newspaper
more useful, satisfying, likeable,
enjoyable than its online counterpart
(Chyi & Chang, 2009; De Waal et al., 2005; Online Publishers
Association, 2004; Chyi & Lasorsa, 1999, 2002; Chyi & Lee,
2012).
• Are so-called “digital natives” an
exception?

7. Purpose of this study
• To re-examine the assumptions about
young people’s news-seeking habits and
their attitude toward print and online
newspapers.

8. College newspapers
• Most college papers publish in online
and print formats.
• Both formats are offered for free.
• Their target readers are college students
ages 18-22, all with Internet access.
• College papers publish content most
relevant to campus life.

9. Method
• A list of college newspaper advisers was
obtained from College Media
Association
• A Web-based survey of U.S. college
newspapers
• May 6-June 6, 2011
• Completion rate: 41%

10. 198 college newspapers
• Serving student population of
• <5,000: 32%
• 5,000 to 9,999: 17%
• 10,000 to 19,999:22%
• 20,000: 29%
• Staff
• 1.9 full-time and 1.6 part-time non-student
staff members
• 46 student staff members

11. Annual income
• The average annual income =$206,785
• Advertising (47%)
• Student fees (31%)
• Academic funds (18%)
• Other (5%)

12. Multiplatform publishing
• Print edition: 98%
• Web edition: 97%
• Videos (75%)
• Slideshows (64%)
• Audio (54%)
• Mobile app: 21%

13. Print vs. Web readership

14. Preference: Print vs. Web

15. Advertising revenue:
Print vs. Web

16. Changes in print circulation
during past 3 years
• Increases: 11%
• Stable: 58%
• Declines: 26%

17. Changes in print ad revenue
during past 3 years
• Increases: 25%
• Stable: 30%
• Declines: 42%

18. Likelihood of adopting
online-only model in 5 years

19. Why unlikely?
• Open-ended responses
• Online-only model “would be the death of
this paper.”
• “Once the racks disappear from campus,
you are out of sight and out of mind to your
audience.”

20. Conclusion
• Digital natives are not dropping print
newspapers in favor of their online
counterparts as most think they would
or have.
• The print edition can be the most
popular format among digital natives
when it is readily accessible, free, and
relevant.

21. Implication
• The real problem has little to do with
the “print format” per se and cannot be
solved with technology alone.

22. Thank you and thank the
College Media Association
• For questions, please contact Iris Chyi
at chyi@mail.utexas.edu or
www.newmediaresearch.org/