Research from Newsworks, the marketing body for national newspapers, carried out with the University of Bath, has identified the “small differences and big similarities” in the reading habits of younger people (millennial 18-30s) and older people (baby boomers).
It shows that the differences between the generations is more subtle than the argument that young people consume newsbrands (like The Times, or The Guardian) digitally while older people consume the printed version.
But the study is important for communicators because rather than focusing on the medium in which people consume news, it identifies five reading habits that transcend both millennials and boomers.
It shows that: “While there are some generational differences, the overall newsbrand habits of millennials and boomers are more influenced by engagement and interest in news than by their generation groups.”
The five reading habits are:
Fix – access news constantly, prompted by a general need and state of distraction
Track – access news regularly throughout the day to keep up to date with breaking stories
Fill – access news to pass the time when moving from one place to another
Indulge – making time to enjoy the news as a break from everything else in the day
Invest – read the news regularly to get an in-depth perspective on stories.
Among the report’s other conclusions are that readers of whatever age place more trust in well-written, independent “real” and “professional” journalism than in woollier social media stories; and that trusted newsbrands “provide a sense of satisfaction and ‘a lens on the world’ by telling you what you need to know and no more”.
The lessons to bear in mind? That the way people read is at least as important as the channel they read in; that a professional style of writing – that tells you no more than you need to know – is more trusted than a flabbier ‘social media style’; and, perhaps most importantly, that you can’t predict how individuals will read based on their age.
Further reading: http://www.newsworks.org.uk/Topics-themes/generation_news/78136