Reading newspapers - how unusual am I?

[Bookridden]

I'm in my 40s and I've realised that hardly anyone my age or younger that I know reads a paper every or most days. Quite a few friends read a paper at the weekend, but the only people I know (apart from me) who read a daily paper are retired, elderly relatives! I happened to go for a walk recently in the area where I live on recycling day, and I noticed as well that very few houses had papers in their paper recycling bins. So, I wonder how unusual my avid paper habit is and - sadly - if newspapers will have much of a future as younger people seem to get all their news from the internet.

The Metro is free everywhere. It's distributed in about 50 towns and cities. It's not much a newspaper though.

Im 25 and i read the papers every day. I started reading them about 6 when i was at my grans

I'll happily buy the DT daily in the UK, especially Saturday and Monday for the crosswords, but it's prohibitively expensive in Belgium. I like the paper as a physical thing, it doesn't have the same feel online.

I read the news everyday but online not a physical paper.

I don't see the point of spending money on something I can get for free

My Dad reads The Times cover to cover every day - he’s 70 now but has done it for as long as I can remember.

My DH (in his 40s) reads The Guardian online every day, but never buys a paper copy. Most people I know have gone online now.

I buy the Times once or twice a week (free from Waitrose if you have a Waitrose card!). I also buy the local paper occasionally but usually only if something about DD's school is in it.

I find that I tend to read more online but I do need the paper to light the fire!

When I was in my 30s and commuting daily to London I used to read the Times on the way up in the train and the Evening Standard on the way home.

I read books rather than use a Kindle. I love going to the library and finding new authors and all the old favourites. I've always been a bit of a bookworm since I was a child and it doesn't feel right if I don't have a couple of books waiting to be read.

I'm an older person, and have a newspaper subscription. In the tube, I'm often the only person in the carriage with a "proper" paper. A few others might have the Metro but everyone else is on their phone. I just don't get the same experience reading the news online, or doing the crossword. It's part of my routine, the short walk to collect it from the corner shop and reading it during the rest of the day. I find so much useful and interesting stuff in it that I believe it earns its keep. Often I show my teenagers items and photos in it. I'm sure they'll tell their children about their grandparent who actually read a newspaper! We never see TV news, by the way. I listen to radio a lot. Certainly newspapers seem to be fading away. On the plus side for electronics, I sometimes invoke the online version to show people something I read a few days earlier, long after the real paper has gone into the recycling.

I no longer buy a daily or weekend newspaper
but I subscribe to the Economist, New Scientist and Private Eye so get my fix that way.

I now read the news online (I used to read the ceefax)

For those who do not read papers / their websites
how do you stay informed about important issues in the world?

I have daily online subscriptions to The Times and The Guardian, I’m in my forties. My parents are in their seventies and also subscribe to online versions.

The only time we buy a daily paper is on holiday and then it's quite a luxury to have the time to read it. I skim through the news online and listen to the radio a lot but I am probably not as up to date on current affairs as I could be. Then again I have two jobs and a family and time is short.

I am 45 btw. My parents are mid seventies and make a 4 mile round trip in the car to get the paper every day, a very different generation though.

I read the paper online every day. I no longer buy a copy.

In my 40s too and never buy a newspaper, I rely on online apps and listen to the radio. I do read the financial papers but they’re bought at work and for work purposes.

My parents and in laws buy a daily paper so I’m thinking it must be a generational thing.

My DS has a weekly general news quiz at school at he’s usually in the top three. I think it ‘cause we always have the radio on, so catches up on news from the half hourly bulletins.

I still miss my weekend broadsheets which I culled in an economy drive about five years ago. Almost bought a paper this weekend for a particular article but put it back when I saw the price. To be fair it is good value for all the reading and crossword etc but I am still a pauper. I find I just skim news online and don't really absorb it.

40s and I have an online subscription to the major daily broadsheet in my home country, which I read daily, and also read the Guardian online four days a week, and in print form three (well, Observer on Sunday). I also read the local paper on Saturdays.

I think print and online news is the Devil’s work and don’t use any of it, I am 57. My (not D)mother was obsessed with politics and devoured her daily newspapers - The Times and The Daily Star! She believed everything she read in them. That put me off for good. I listen to some of the Today programme, try to see at least part of a news programme on TV every day and usually see at least part of Newsnight. I also subscribe to Private Eye and read our two local newspapers. I don’t think reading newspapers or their online versions makes anyone well informed, they are so full of lies, fake news, propaganda and just boring shit. If you enjoy them that’s fine but I don’t think the media industry wants anything other than influence and money

I only ever buy a newspaper if I'm going on a train/plane journey alone because it gives me an extra option when it comes to boredom busters along with my phone, music and a book. If I'm travelling I try not to use my phone for internet browsing because I like to try and conserve the battery until I have got to my destination, just in case of emergency or if I need it to look up information/have access to digital tickets.

I read The Guardian online everyday multiple times. I donate to them by PayPal every month so I don't feel bad.

Back in the day 90's early 2000's I bought the sun or mirror every morning on way to work. My mum always bought a paper every day. Now I never buy a paper haven't done in years my mum buys the odd one when she ventures to the shops. The only time I pick up a paper now is when I get the mirror or mail for free walking through the airport.
The news of the world on a Sunday was always something I looked forward to! All that trashy celeb stories to look forward to! My FIL now 80 buts several papers every morning but that's a sign of his times. Sadly papers will probably disappear over the next few years same as magazines I used to buy about 4 every week but haven't bought any if years apart from the odd one at the airport. My mum buys mags every week so I do read hers!

I am a newspaper journalist. We sell about 1/3 hard copies of the newspaper than we did ten years ago, which is not that far off average.

However, our digital audience is much bigger than it was ten years ago. We have 40,000 people visiting our website every day.

The problem forums is that advertisers don’t want to pay to advertise online, and they don’t want to pay full whack to advertise in the paper because we don’t sell as many copies.

It’s easy to dismiss newspapers as being irrelevant but probably 90 per cent of the stories you read online or see on TV news were first picked up by a newspaper journalist.

Why do you think it's bad people are reading online instead of funding Murdoch?

I've subscribed to the Times for 20 years. Read this and the guardian online most days.

I wonder if I should just go to digital completely... But I spend so much time on screens, it's nice to have a hard copy

Just go cold turkey 🦃 don’t read any of them

I read a few articles online and buy a physical weekend paper maybe once a year, if that.

My mum (60s) gets the Guardian on Saturdays and I know a 75yo couple who get the Telegraph every day.

davros
If you do not read the news, where do you get your information to make decisions about elections and holidays and investments ?