Study shows who's more likely to pay for local news, and who's more likely to think local news outlets are prospering

Pew Research Center graphic; click the image to enlarge it.

Only 14 percent of Americans pay to get news of their locality through subscription, donation or membership, but who's more likely to pay? The Pew Research Center has the facts and some ideas.

"Americans ages 50 and older are more likely to pay for local news than their younger counterparts,"  Mason Walker reports for the center. Pew polling found that 29% of those 65 and older and 15% of those 50-64 "say they have paid a local news organization in the past year," Walker writes. "By comparison, just 9% of those ages 30 to 49 and 7% of those 18 to 29 say they have done so."

White Americans and those with a college degree are more likely to pay for local news. About 22% of Americans with a degree say they've paid for local news in the past year, compared to 13% of those with some college education and about 10% of those with a high school diploma or less.

Americans who prefer local news in print are much more likely to pay for it than those who prefer it from other sources. About 39% of people who prefer print have paid in the past year, compared to 16% for people who prefer it from radio, 12% who prefer it from news websites or apps, 10% who like their news on TV, and 8% who like to get local news via social media, Walker reports.

"U.S. adults who are more civically engaged – those who have participated in a political event in the past year or are currently active in or a member of a local group or organization in their community – are far more likely to pay for local news than those who are less engaged," Walker writes. About 29% of people active in their community say they've paid for local news in the past year, compared to 14% of people who are somewhat active and 6% of people who are inactive in their community.

People who feel attached to their community are more likely to pay for local news too: 24% who said they were highly attached said they had paid for local news in the past year, compared to 14% of those who feel somewhat attached and 7% who said they feel not very or not at all attached. 

Pew asked how important it is to follow 11 local news topics, including weather, crime, politics and sports. Those who were highly interested in five or more topics were no more likely to pay for local news than those who said they were interested in fewer topics. The only exception: People who said they were interested in following none of those topics were less likely to pay for local news.

"Notably, those who express interest in a broader range of topics are much more likely to say their local news media are doing well financially," Walker reports. "For instance, among those who say five or more topics are important for their daily lives, almost eight in ten (79%) say their local news outlets are doing well financially, compared with just 55% who say no topics are important."

Majorities of all groups think local news outlets are doing well financially; people with a college degree, those 18-29, and whites are a little less likely to believe that. Only 63% of people who prefer their news via print or radio believe their local news outlets are prospering, compared to 77% of people who prefer TV news. People who prefer their news online fall between the TV and print/radio consumers. Moreover, people who feel highly attached to their community are much more likely to believe their local news outlets are doing well financially (75%) versus 64% of people who are not very or not at all attached to their communities.