Newspaper subscribers are increasingly using smartphones and tablets while retaining a strong attachment to print, according to the latest mobile media survey from the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute (RJI). The percentage of respondents who said they subscribed to at least one printed newspaper remained at around 30 percent between Q1 2013 and Q1 2014 (see chart 8.2 and 2013 report 6).

1. donald w. reynolds rji journalism institute
2014 RJI Mobile Media
News Consumption Survey
Charts for Research Report 8
The Go-To Place for Ideas, Experiments, and Research • • • w ww.RJIonline.org

2. Newspaper subscribers vs. non-subscribers
14%
18–34
28%
35–54
58%
55 +
39%
18–34
28%
55 +
42
AVERAGE
AGE
34%
35–54
55
AVERAGE
AGE
SUBSCRIBERS NON-SUBSCRIBERS
Percentages of participants within each category and age group
Newspaper subscribers are U.S. adults who said they subscribed to at least one print newspaper
at the time they participated in the 2014 RJI Mobile Media News Consumption Survey.
Percentages may not total 100% due to rounding. Based on a random sampling of 1,191 U.S. adults in Q1 2014.
Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute CHART 8.1 Roger Fidler • 9/10/14

3. How do subscribers and non-subscribers compare?
Men
Women
Overall
Subscribers Non-Subscribers
13% 87%
13% 87%
13% 87%
Men
Women
Overall
26% 74%
26% 74%
26% 74%
Men
Women
Overall
51% 50%
44% 57%
47% 53%
Men
Women
Overall
30% 70%
29% 71%
30% 70%
Percentages of participants within each gender and age group
18-34
35-54
55 or
Older
All
Ages
Newspaper subscribers are U.S. adults who said they subscribed to at least one print newspaper
at the time they participated in the 2014 RJI Mobile Media News Consumption Survey.
Percentages may not total 100% due to rounding. Based on a random sampling of 1,191 U.S. adults in Q1 2014.
Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute CHART 8.2 Roger Fidler • 9/10/14

4. How do subscribers and non-subscribers compare?
86%
71%
NEWSPAPER
SUBSCRIBERS
NEWSPAPER
NON-SUBSCRIBERS
ETHNICITY
White
54% 52% 56%
Gender
Male
36%
INCOME ‡
≥ $75,000
52%
65%
EMPLOYMENT
Employed
54%
43%
EDUCATION
College
53% 53%
LOCATION
Urban
Percentages of subscribers and non-subscribers within each category
Employed includes full-, part-, and self-employed; College Degree indicates at least a 4-year
college degree; Urban Location includes cities and suburbs with populations of 40,000 or more.
‡ Excludes 19% of participants overall who did not reveal their incomes.
Percentages may not total 100% due to rounding. Based on a random sampling of 1,191 U.S. adults in Q1 2014.
Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute CHART 8.3 Roger Fidler • 9/10/14

5. How do their households compare?
Subscribers Non-Subscribers All Participants
20% 19%
1 Adult
54% 50%
49%
2 Adults
Average number persons/household
newspaper Subscribers 2.2
non-subscribers 3.1
all participants 3.0
28% 32% 31%
3 or More Adults
36%
28%
40%
1 or More Children
18%
Percentages of subscriber and non-subscriber households within each group
All participants in the 2014 RJI survey were asked the number of adults (ages 18 or older), including
themselves, and the number of children (younger than 18) in their households.
Percentages may not total 100% due to rounding. Based on a random sampling of 1,191 U.S. adults in Q1 2014.
Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute CHART 8.4 Roger Fidler • 9/10/14

6. Who used mobile media?
18%
18–34
32%
35–54
49%
55 +
46%
18–34
18%
55 +
37%
35–54
51
AVERAGE
AGE
39
AVERAGE
AGE
SUBSCRIBERS NON-SUBSCRIBERS
Percentages of mobile media users within each category and age group
Mobile media users are participants who said they had used a smartphone and/or tablet in the
week prior to participating in the 2014 RJI Mobile Media News Consumption Survey.
Percentages may not total 100% due to rounding. Based on a random sampling of 1,191 U.S. adults in Q1 2014.
Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute CHART 8.5 Roger Fidler • 9/10/14

7. 87% 86%
NEWSPAPER
SUBSCRIBERS
NEWSPAPER
NON-SUBSCRIBERS
ALL
PARTICIPANTS
18-34
Who used mobile media?
79%
74%
80%
35-54
54% 50%
47%
55 or Older
71%
63%
74%
All Ages
82%
Percentages of participants within each category and age group
Mobile media users are participants who said they had used a smartphone and/or tablet in the
week prior to participating in the 2014 RJI Mobile Media News Consumption Survey.
Percentages may not total 100% due to rounding. Based on a random sampling of 1,191 U.S. adults in Q1 2014.
Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute CHART 8.6 Roger Fidler • 9/10/14

8. Who used mobile media?
Subscribers Non-Subscribers All Participants
41% 39%
31%
Smartphone Only
26% 29% 27%
Smartphone + Tablet
6% 4% 5%
Tablet Only
71%
63%
74%
Mobile Media
Percentages of participants within each category and group
Mobile media users are participants who said they had used a smartphone and/or tablet in the
week prior to participating in the 2014 RJI Mobile Media News Consumption Survey.
Percentages may not total 100% due to rounding. Based on a random sampling of 1,191 U.S. adults in Q1 2014.
Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute CHART 8.7 Roger Fidler • 9/10/14

9. 84%
How do mobile media users compare?
71%
NEWSPAPER
SUBSCRIBERS
NEWSPAPER
NON-SUBSCRIBERS
ETHNICITY
White
54% 52%
Gender
Male
70%
36%
INCOME ‡
≥ $75,000
61% 65%
EMPLOYMENT
Employed
61%
43%
EDUCATION
College
59%
53%
LOCATION
Urban
Percentages of subscribers and non-subscribers within each category
Employed includes full-, part-, and self-employed; College Degree indicates at least a 4-year
college degree; Urban Location includes cities and suburbs with populations of 40,000 or more.
‡ Excludes 19% of participants overall who did not reveal their incomes.
Percentages may not total 100% due to rounding. Based on a random sampling of 1,191 U.S. adults in Q1 2014.
Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute CHART 8.8 Roger Fidler • 9/10/14

10. How do their households compare?
[ One or more mobile devices in households ]
79% 75%
66%
SUBSCRIBER
HOUSEHOLDS
NON-SUBSCRIBER
HOUSEHOLDS
OVERALL
HOUSEHOLDS
Smartphones
45% 48% 47%
Large Tablets
15% 16% 16%
Mini Tablets
52% 55% 54%
Tablets (both types)
Percentages of subscriber and non-subscriber households within each group
All participants — newspaper subscribers and non-subscribers — in the 2014 RJI survey were
asked if they or any members of their households had smartphones or media tablets.
Percentages may not total 100% due to rounding. Based on a random sampling of 1,191 U.S. adults in Q1 2014.
Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute CHART 8.9 Roger Fidler • 9/10/14

11. Who used mobile to keep up with the news?
22%
18–34
15%
55 +
44%
55 + 50%
49
AVERAGE
AGE
34%
35–54
37
AVERAGE
AGE
35% 18–34
35–54
SUBSCRIBERS NON-SUBSCRIBERS
Percentages of mobile news consumers within each category and age group
Mobile news consumers are participants who said they had used a smartphone and/or tablet to keep
up with the news in the week prior to participating in the Q1 2014 RJI Mobile Media News Survey.
Percentages may not total 100% due to rounding. Based on a random sampling of 1,191 U.S. adults in Q1 2014.
Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute CHART 8.10 Roger Fidler • 9/10/14

12. Who used mobile to keep up with the news?
72% 75% 74%
NEWSPAPER
SUBSCRIBERS
NEWSPAPER
NON-SUBSCRIBERS
ALL
PARTICIPANTS
18-34
63%
58%
65%
35-54
36% 33%
30%
55 or Older
56%
47%
59%
All Ages
Percentages of participants within each category and age group
Mobile news consumers are participants who said they had used a smartphone and/or tablet to keep
up with the news in the week prior to participating in the Q1 2014 RJI Mobile Media News Survey.
Percentages may not total 100% due to rounding. Based on a random sampling of 1,191 U.S. adults in Q1 2014.
Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute CHART 8.11 Roger Fidler • 9/10/14

13. How do mobile news consumers compare?
85%
71%
NEWSPAPER
SUBSCRIBERS
NEWSPAPER
NON-SUBSCRIBERS
ETHNICITY
White
54% 53%
Gender
Male
73%
45%
INCOME ‡
≥ $75,000
66%
73%
EMPLOYMENT
Employed
63%
51%
EDUCATION
College
61% 58%
LOCATION
Urban
Percentages of mobile news consumers within each category and group
Employed includes full-, part-, and self-employed; College Degree indicates at least a 4-year
college degree; Urban Location includes cities and suburbs with populations of 40,000 or more.
Percentages may not total 100% due to rounding. Based on a random sampling of 1,191 U.S. adults in Q1 2014.
Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute CHART 8.12 Roger Fidler • 9/10/14

14. Who uses common forms of media for news?
86%
76%
NEWSPAPER
SUBSCRIBERS
NEWSPAPER
NON-SUBSCRIBERS
TV NEWS
Using TVs
52%
44%
RADIO NEWS
Using Radios
84%
32%
NEWSPAPERS
Reading Stories
66%
24%
NEWSPAPERS
Looking at Ads
58%
51%
WEB NEWS
Using PCs
26% 28%
SOCIAL MEDIA
Using PCs
Percentages of participants who selected each news medium
Participants who said they had read stories or ads in printed newspapers, watched news on TV sets,
listened to news on radios or used PCs for news on websites or social media in the prior week.
Percentages may not total 100% due to rounding. Based on a random sampling of 1,191 U.S. adults in Q1 2014.
Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute CHART 8.13 Roger Fidler • 9/10/14

15. What are their main sources of news?
[Newspaper subscribers and non-subscribers overall ]
Broadcast
& Cable
Websites &
Social Media
Newspapers
Other
54%
58%
SUBSCRIBERS
NON-SUBSCRIBERS
21%
34%
23%
5%
2%
3%
48%
SUBSCRIBERS
NON-SUBSCRIBERS
8%
23%
42%
9%
2%
6%
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL NEWS LOCAL NEWS
62%
Percentages of participants who selected each news medium
Broadcast & Cable includes network, cable, and public television news programs as well as
radio news programs; Other includes magazines, e-mail, and word-of-mouth.
Percentages may not total 100% due to rounding. Based on a random sampling of 1,191 U.S. adults in Q1 2014.
Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute CHART 8.14 Roger Fidler • 9/10/14

16. Who pays to subscribe to mobile news content?
Subscribers Non-Subscribers All Participants
6% 7%
7% 9%
15%
11%
7% 3% 5% 5% 7%
18-34 35-54 55 or Older All Ages
Percentages of participants within each category and age group
16%
Participants were asked if they were currently paying to subscribe to any news organization content
intended for consuming on smartphones and/or tablets.
Percentages may not total 100% due to rounding. Based on a random sampling of 1,191 U.S. adults in Q1 2014.
Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute CHART 8.15 Roger Fidler • 9/10/14

17. Who used smartphone news apps?
Subscribers Non-Subscribers Smartphone Overall
59% 56% 55% 53%
56%
3.1 3.1
3.6 3.5 3.6
71%
3.2
63% 59%
58%
3.4 3.0
2.8
62%
2.5
62%
2.4
The average number of smartphone news apps used
by the owners who used smartphone news apps in the
week prior to taking the survey are shown in white type.
18-34 35-54 55 or Older All Ages
64%
3.1
Percentages of smartphone owners within each category and age group
Smartphone owners were asked how many smartphone news apps they had actually used
with their smartphones in the week prior to participating in the 2014 RJI Mobile Media Survey.
Percentages may not total 100% due to rounding. Based on a random sampling of 1,191 U.S. adults in Q1 2014.
Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute CHART 8.16 Roger Fidler • 9/10/14

18. Who used smartphone newspaper apps?
Subscribers Non-Subscribers Smartphone Overall
51%
43% 46%
1.5
54%
1.6
38%
1.5
54%
41% 42%
1.8
1.6
1.5
37%
2.0 1.6
1.7
38%
1.6
35%
1.7
The average number of smartphone newspaper apps used
by the owners who used smartphone newspaper apps in
the week prior to taking the survey are shown in white type.
18-34 35-54 55 or Older All Ages
60%
1.4
Percentages of smartphone news app users within categories and age groups
Smartphone owners who said they had used smartphone news apps were then asked how many were
smartphone newspaper apps in the week prior to participating in the 2014 RJI Mobile Media Survey.
Percentages may not total 100% due to rounding. Based on a random sampling of 1,191 U.S. adults in Q1 2014.
Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute CHART 8.17 Roger Fidler • 9/10/14

19. Who used tablet news apps?
Subscribers Non-Subscribers Tablet Overall
50%
2.7
60%
2.3 49%
2.7
56%
3.0
64%
2.5
53%
3.3
58%
2.5
44%
2.9
40%
35% 2.6
2.8
48%
The average number of tablet news apps used by the
owners who used tablet news apps in the week prior to
taking the survey are shown in white type.
18-34 35-54 55 or Older All Ages
Percentages of tablet owners within each category and age group
2.8
INSUFFICIENT
DATA
Large tablet owners were asked how many tablet news apps they had actually used with their
large tablets in the week prior to participating in the 2014 RJI Mobile Media Survey.
Percentages may not total 100% due to rounding. Based on a random sampling of 1,191 U.S. adults in Q1 2014.
Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute CHART 8.18 Roger Fidler • 9/10/14

20. Who used tablet newspaper apps?
Subscribers Non-Subscribers Tablet Overall
63%
60% 59% 55%
58%
1.3 1.5
1.7 2.1
71%
1.5
2.3
55%
1.7
63%
1.8
50%
41% 1.7
30% 1.5
1.8
The average number of tablet newspaper apps used by the
owners who used tablet newspaper apps in the week prior
to taking the survey are shown in white type.
INSUFFICIENT
DATA
18-34 35-54 55 or Older All Ages
Percentages of tablet news app users within categories and age groups
Large tablet owners who said they had used tablet news apps were then asked how many were
tablet newspaper apps in the week prior to participating in the 2014 RJI Mobile Media Survey.
Percentages may not total 100% due to rounding. Based on a random sampling of 1,191 U.S. adults in Q1 2014.
Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute CHART 8.19 Roger Fidler • 9/10/14

21. donald w. reynolds rji journalism institute
2014 RJI Mobile Media
News Consumption Survey
The intended purpose of these annual RJI sur veys is to gain
insights into who uses mobile media and how their uses for news
may change over time. The research reports can be found at:
www.rjionline.org/research/rji-mobile-media-project.
For more information, contact:
Roger Fidler
RJI Program Director for Digital Publishing
FidlerR@RJIonline.org
The Go-To Place for Ideas, Experiments, and Research • • • w ww.RJIonline.org