NAA Foundation Study Reveals That Future Readership Results When Newspapers Publish Content for Teens
Newspaper Association of America Foundation
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Over a repeating three-year cycle, the NAA Foundation will study the impact of youth content, the role of Newspaper In Education programs and the influence of student journalism – in particular, work on high school newspapers – in developing future readers, improving education and promoting civic engagement.
This research is critical, because newspapers are in dire need of forming strong bonds with young
readers. Historically, young people who were not avid newspaper readers in their late teens and early
20s usually changed their habits as they grew older. But that has not been the case with Generation X
and the oldest of Generation Y. Research reveals that 18- to 34-year-olds are reading less than other
groups, a trend that is deeply disturbing to anyone concerned about the part newspapers play in an
informed, engaged citizenry.
The NAA Foundation has long maintained that an important way to form a lifelong bond with young readers is through specially designed content for teens. However, until now there has never been any solid research to support that. This report provides hard statistical data that newspaper content for teens, by teens and relating to teens strongly bolsters a newspaper’s ability to attract young readers and keep them as they age.
This finding is particularly important because over the last several years, some newspapers have actually abandoned their teen sections in favor of content they perceive as being more appealing to the 18-to-34 age group. One result of this study should be a realization by newspapers that if they direct content to their pre-teen and teen readers, they can build future readership among 18- to 34-year-olds without additional initiatives.
Clearly, there are more factors involved in attracting and keeping young adult readers, but this research shows that a future generation of young readers is there now waiting to be reached.With a sustained and coordinated effort, newspapers can reach it.