The Public's Source for News (1993-2013)

The chart below shows trend data from 28 national surveys conducted between 1993 to 2013 by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press. Pew asked American adults: "How do you get most of your news about national and international issues? Television, newspapers, radio, magazines, Internet." Television as a primary news source for the public has dropped from a high of 88% in January 1996 to a current level of 69%. Newspapers continue their decline as a source — they've fallen from a high of 63% in September 1995 to 28% currently, slipping from 31% in 2011 when Pew previously conducted this survey. Meantime, the internet has risen steadily — passing radio in July 2003, newspapers in December 2008, and continuing to close the gap with television. When Pew first included "the internet" in January 1999, only 6% of American adults named it as a source for news on national and international issues. In Pew's 2013 survey, 50% said they use the internet as a primary source for news, up from 43% in 2011.

Roll over years to display data. Drag several years to zoom the chart. Toggle a line by clicking an item in the legend.