This study examined assumptions that young people prefer online news over print newspapers. A survey of 198 U.S. college newspaper advisers found that while digital platforms are popular, print editions remain the most read format and generate the most advertising revenue. The majority of advisers saw print circulation and revenue as stable or declining only slightly in the past 3 years. Most advisers viewed an online-only model as unlikely within 5 years, noting that the print edition's campus presence is important for visibility and readership among college students. The findings suggest digital natives are not entirely abandoning print newspapers as commonly believed.

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
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.