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State of the News Media (Project)

Data and trends about key sectors in the U.S. news media industry

Since 2004, Pew Research Center has issued an annual report on key audience and economic indicators for a variety of sectors within the U.S. news media industry. These data speak to the shifting ways in which Americans seek out news and information, how news organizations get their revenue, and the resources available to American journalists as they seek to inform the public about important events of the day. The press is sometimes called the fourth branch of government, but in the U.S., it’s also very much a business – one whose ability to serve the public is dependent on its ability to attract eyeballs and dollars.

Over the years, the Center’s approach to these indicators has evolved along with the industry, carefully considering the metrics, sectors and format in which the data appear. Instead of a single summary report, our approach is to roll out a series of fact sheets showcasing the most important current and historical data points for each sector – in an easy-to-digest format – a few at a time. (State of the News Media reports from 2004-2018 are archived as PDFs and available here.)

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Digital News Fact Sheet

In the U.S., roughly nine-in-ten adults (93%) get at least some news online (either via mobile or desktop), and the online space has become a host for the digital homes of both legacy news outlets and new, “born on the web” news outlets.

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Hispanic and Black News Media Fact Sheet

News media made by and for Black and Hispanic Americans – the two largest racial and ethnic minority groups in the U.S. – have been a consistent part of the country’s news landscape. Explore statistics on the Hispanic- and Black-oriented news industry.

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Cable News Fact Sheet

In 2022, both prime-time and daytime cable news audiences increased for Fox News but decreased for CNN, MSNBC and Newsmax.

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Network News Fact Sheet

Financially, advertiser expenditures for the news programs of the three major networks have declined substantially since 2020.

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Local TV News Fact Sheet

Local TV companies generated more revenue in 2022 than in 2021, consistent with a cyclical pattern in which advertising revenue rises in election years and falls in non-election years.

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Newspapers Fact Sheet

Newspapers are a critical part of the American news landscape, but they have been hard hit as more and more Americans consume news digitally.

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Audio and Podcasting Fact Sheet

The audio news sector in the U.S. is split by modes of delivery: traditional terrestrial (AM/FM) radio and digital formats such as online radio and podcasting.

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State of the News Media (Project)

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  • report

    Seattle: A New Media Case Study

    Seattle, perhaps more than any other American city, epitomizes the promise and challenges of American journalism at the local level.

  • report

    A Year in the News 2010

    Two weeks into the year, a devastating earthquake struck Haiti and dominated the news in the United States for a month. As coverage began to subside, the climactic legislative battle over remaking the American health care system took on a feverish quality—and began its own month-long control of the news. In April, an oil rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico commandeered the media’s attention all the way into August. And from Labor Day to Nov. 2, the midterm elections held the media’s fascination far beyond anything else.

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    Newspapers: Missed the 2010 Media Rally

    For newspapers, 2010 was comparatively calm after the hair-raising revenue dips of 2008 and 2009. That was cold comfort, however, to an industry still laboring to find a sustainable business model for the future.

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    Network News: Durability & Decline

    As the economy improved in 2010, network broadcast news quietly went through an arduous period of change. The news division of one network, ABC, instituted sharp personnel cuts designed to accomplish a “fundamental transformation” in the way network news is produced.1 Another, CBS News, worked its way from financial losses back to break-even, while management continued to strengthen a depleted bench of correspondents and news producers. NBC prepared for new owners, the third such transition since NBC was founded in 1926, and if history is a guide, the change will alter the network more than most pre-sale analyses predicted.

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    Cable: Audience vs. Economics

    Two paths diverging would be one way of putting it. A glance at the finances of cable news in 2010 would leave one feeling outright bullish. All three major news channels were projected to have increases in operating profits — Fox News by 27%, CNN (and HLN) by 7% and MSNBC by 8%, according to the market research firm SNL Kagan.1

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    Local TV: Good News After the Fall

    After a couple of difficult years, finally there was some good news for local television. Thanks to the economic recovery and a busy election year, revenues rose sharply in 2010. As more stations continued to add newscasts in new time slots, the overall audience for local TV news actually held steady and new delivery platforms, including mobile, raised hope for the future.

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    Audio: Medium on the Brink of Major Change

    Traditional AM and FM radio still dominates the audio landscape, and for the last decade it has been among the most stable traditional media. But heading into 2011 there are growing signals that raise questions about its future.

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    African American Media: Evolving in the New Era

    The African American media in 2010 mirrored the kinds of challenges and changes that mainstream news organizations also faced. Most African American media outlets either began or planned to upgrade their digital enterprises in an effort to reach new audiences. But beyond that, it was a mixed year for the sector.