This is my final report on the results of the 2015 Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute (RJI) Mobile Media News Consumption Survey. I will use it to explore the generational divide, mostly as it relates to the use of smartphones for news and attitudes about professional journalism and news sources, and to offer some suggestions for news organizations going forward.

1. Attitudes about news
transcend technology,
generational divide
Millennials more likely than Boomers
to use smartphones for news,
but sources matter to all ages.
Roger Fidler
RJI Program Director for Digital Publishing [Retired]REPORT FIVE
Results from 2015 RJI Mobile Media
News Consumption Survey

2. 63%
90%
45 +
18-44
Frequency and time spent
with smartphones by owners for all uses
and consuming news in the past week.
Percent of all smartphone owners within each age group. *News provided by news organizations.
REPORT FIVE — CHART 1
Results from 2015 RJI Mobile Media
News Consumption Survey 0 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
ALL USES: FREQUENTLY OR VERY FREQUENTLY
25%
69%
45 +
18-44
20%
49%
45 +
18-44
26%
59%
45 +
18-44
75%
OVERALL
ALL USES: MORE THAN ONE HOUR PER DAY
44%
OVERALL
33%
OVERALL
43%
OVERALL
CONSUMED NEWS*: FREQUENTLY OR VERY FREQUENTLY
CONSUMED NEWS*: MORE THAN 20 MINUTES PER DAY

3. 62%
47%
45 +
18-44
Smartphone owners who said they had
used legacy news media frequently
or very frequently in the past week.
Percent of all smartphone owners within each age group
REPORT FIVE — CHART 2
Results from 2015 RJI Mobile Media
News Consumption Survey 0 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
LOCAL NEWS ON TV SET
53%
44%
45 +
18-44
43%
39%
45 +
18-44
26%
35%
45 +
18-44
55%
OVERALL
NETWORK NEWS ON TV SET
49%
OVERALL
41%
OVERALL
30%
OVERALL
PRINTED NEWSPAPER (NATIONAL AND/OR LOCAL)
CABLE NEWS CHANNEL ON TV SET (CNN AND/OR FOX)

4. 17%
55%
45 +
18-44
Smartphone owners who said they found
news frequently or very frequently using
the following methods in the past week.
Percent of all smartphone owners within each age group
REPORT FIVE — CHART 3
Results from 2015 RJI Mobile Media
News Consumption Survey 0 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
INDIRECTLY THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIALINKS
16%
53%
45 +
18-44
19%
45%
45 +
18-44
17%
39%
45 +
18-44
34%
OVERALL
STUMBLING ONTO NEWS WHILE INVOLVED IN NON-NEWS ACTIVITIES
33%
OVERALL
31%
OVERALL
27%
OVERALL
DIRECTLY THROUGH NEWS ORGANIZATION WEBSITES
DIRECTLY THROUGH NEWS ORGANIZATION SMARTPHONE APPS

5. 29%
75%
45 +
18-44
Smartphone owners who said they used
a smartphone frequently or very frequently
to do the following in the past week.
Percent of all smartphone owners within each age group
REPORT FIVE — CHART 4
Results from 2015 RJI Mobile Media
News Consumption Survey 0 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
INTERACT WITH SOCIAL MEDIA NETWORKS
24%
69%
45 +
18-44
12%
44%
45 +
18-44
12%
40%
45 +
18-44
49%
OVERALL
WATCH VIDEOS, PLAYGAMES, OR LISTEN TO MUSIC
44%
OVERALL
26%
OVERALL
24%
OVERALL
SHOP ONLINE
SHARE NEWS STORIES WITH SOCIALMEDIANETWORKS

6. Smartphone owners who said they
agreed or disagreed*
with the following statements.
Percent of all smartphone owners within each age group
* Agreed = somewhat + strongly; Disagreed = somewhat + strongly
REPORT FIVE — CHART 5
Results from 2015 RJI Mobile Media
News Consumption Survey
22%
41%
25%
30%
53%
29%
45+
18-44
“I AM OFTEN THE FIRST AMONG MY FRIENDS
TO ADOPT A NEW TECHNOLOGY.”
AGREED NEUTRAL DISAGREED
20%
45%
28%
26%
52%
29%
45+
18-44
“I OFTEN INTRODUCE MY FRIENDS
TO NEW TECHNOLOGIES.”
AGREED NEUTRAL DISAGREED

7. Smartphone owners who said they
agreed or disagreed*
with the following statements.
Percent of all smartphone owners within each age group
* Agreed = somewhat + strongly; Disagreed = somewhat + strongly
REPORT FIVE — CHART 6
Results from 2015 RJI Mobile Media
News Consumption Survey
52%
72%
26%
21%
22%
7%
45+
18-44
“I LIKE TRYING NEW TECHNOLOGIES.”
AGREED NEUTRAL DISAGREED
35%
54%
30%
25%
35%
21%
45+
18-44
“I TAKE THE INITIATIVE TO FIND OUT ABOUT
NEW TECHNOLOGIES.”
AGREED NEUTRAL DISAGREED

8. Smartphone owners who said they
agreed or disagreed*
with the following statements.
Percent of all smartphone owners within each age group
* Agreed = somewhat + strongly; Disagreed = somewhat + strongly
REPORT FIVE — CHART 7
Results from 2015 RJI Mobile Media
News Consumption Survey
52%
61%
36%
27%
12%
12%
45+
18-44
“AMONG MY FRIENDS IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW WHAT’S
GOING ON IN THE WORLD.”
AGREED NEUTRAL DISAGREED
51%
57%
26%
28%
23%
15%
45+
18-44
“I OFTEN TALK ABOUT NEWS AND CURRENT EVENTS
WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY.”
AGREED NEUTRAL DISAGREED

9. Smartphone owners who said they
agreed or disagreed*
with the following statements.
Percent of all smartphone owners within each age group
* Agreed = somewhat + strongly; Disagreed = somewhat + strongly
REPORT FIVE — CHART 8
Results from 2015 RJI Mobile Media
News Consumption Survey
72%
70%
23%
24%
6%
6%
45+
18-44
“IT IS IMPORTANT TO ME THAT MY NEWS COMES
FROM MY MOST TRUSTED NEWS SOURCES.”
AGREED NEUTRAL DISAGREED
52%
54%
35%
33%
13%
14%
45+
18-44
“PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISTS PLAY AVITAL ROLE
IN OUR SOCIETY.”
AGREED NEUTRAL DISAGREED

10. Smartphone owners who said they
agreed or disagreed*
with the following statements.
Percent of all smartphone owners within each age group
* Agreed = somewhat + strongly; Disagreed = somewhat + strongly
REPORT FIVE — CHART 9
Results from 2015 RJI Mobile Media
News Consumption Survey
42%
48%
46%
35%
13%
17%
45+
18-44
“I PREFER NEWS STORIES PRODUCED AND SELECTED
BY PROFESSIONALJOURNALISTS.”
AGREED NEUTRAL DISAGREED
18%
36%
43%
37%
38%
27%
45+
18-44
“I PREFER TO GET MOST OF MY NEWS
FROM PEOPLE I KNOW.”
AGREED NEUTRAL DISAGREED

11. Smartphone owners who said they
agreed or disagreed*
with the following statements.
Percent of all smartphone owners within each age group
* Agreed = somewhat + strongly; Disagreed = somewhat + strongly
REPORT FIVE — CHART 10
Results from 2015 RJI Mobile Media
News Consumption Survey
28%
35%
38%
38%
34%
27%
45+
18-44
“MOST INFORMATION IN THE NEWS
IS ACCURATE.”
AGREED NEUTRAL DISAGREED
21%
34%
47%
45%
32%
21%
45+
18-44
“STORIES PRODUCED BY PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISTS
ARE LESS BIASED THAN MOST OTHER NEWS SOURCES.”
AGREED NEUTRAL DISAGREED

12. Smartphone owners who said they
agreed or disagreed*
with the following statements.
Percent of all smartphone owners within each age group
* Agreed = somewhat + strongly; Disagreed = somewhat + strongly
REPORT FIVE — CHART 11
Results from 2015 RJI Mobile Media
News Consumption Survey
20%
32%
46%
38%
34%
30%
45+
18-44
“I PREFER HEARING NEWS THAT OFFERS AN OPINION
OVER TRADITIONAL NEWS REPORTS.”
AGREED NEUTRAL DISAGREED
32%
62%
21%
23%
47%
16%
45+
18-44
“I OFTEN RUN ACROSS NEWS WHEN LOOKING AT
SOCIAL MEDIA LIKEFACEBOOK AND TWITTER.”
AGREED NEUTRAL DISAGREED

13. About the 2015 RJI Mobile Media Survey
This survey was conducted forRJI in June 2015by Ipsos, one of the world’s largest
market researchcompanies. It included 1,001 U.S. adults. The questionnairewas
drafted by Samuel Tham, a graduatestudentin the Missouri School of Journalism,
under the guidance ofEsther Thorson, RJI’s director of research.
Unlike the three previous annual RJI Mobile Media News Consumption Surveys,
which included users as well as non-users of smartphones and tablets, this survey
was confined tothose who had standard-size smartphones and phablets —
smartphones with screens that measure diagonally 5.1 – 6.99 inches.
Ipsos maintains a databasethatcollects demographic information fromcommercial
list brokers. Individuals in this databaseare offered incentives to participate in
various surveys. For this survey, Ipsos sought tomatch respondents as closeto the
U.S. population as possible.
About the Reynolds Journalism Institute
The Donald W. Reynolds JournalismInstitute engages media professionals, scholars
and other citizens in programs aimed at strengthening journalismin theservice of
democracy. RJI generates and tests newtechniques and newthinking thatpromise
to improve journalism.
REPORT FIVE
Results from 2015 RJI Mobile Media
News Consumption Survey

14. RJI Mobile Media Research Project
https://www.rjionline.org/research/rji-mobile-media-project
Roger Fidler
Program Director for Digital Publishing [Retired]
FidlerR@rjionline.org
(573) 808.2137