KU survey: Stark digital divide in KC over Web usage; TV is top news source

LAWRENCE -- A University of Kansas study of how Kansas City area residents get their news and how often they access the Internet reveals a stark digital divide by age and level of education.

The survey, conducted this summer by KU's Survey Research Center, also showed that Kansas Citians tune in to local television news more frequently than a variety of other news sources.

"The technological gap shows that education and age still play a major role in whether people are accessing the Internet," said María E. Len-Ríos, assistant professor of journalism and author of the study.

The survey results are vital for the news media, businesses or anyone trying to communicate through the Internet, said James Gentry, dean of the School of Journalism.

"As news agencies and companies expand to the Web, businesses and policy-makers need to know the demographics of who has access to the information," Gentry said. þUnderstanding who goes online is critical for effective communications."

Len-Ríos' research shows that 87 percent of people under 34 reported accessing the Internet, compared with 61 percent for people over 34. Retirees and part-time employees reported going online less than other groups. Only 29 percent of those 65 and older said that they ever went online.

Education and income often are closely related when it comes to who has access to the Web, the survey shows. Less than 35 percent of those who make less than $25,000 said they ever go online, while 100 percent of those who made $150,000 or more in household income reported going online. Nearly three-quarters of respondents who had attended some high school but did not have a diploma reported they never went online to access the Web. Forty percent of high school graduates reported going online, compared with 85 percent of undergraduate-degree holders.

The survey results are similar to a national 2002 Pew Internet & American Life Project that showed 74 percent of 18- to 29-year-olds, 67 percent of 30- to 49-year-olds, 52 percent of 50- to 64-year-olds and 18 percent of those over 65 had Internet access. Len-Ríos said Kansas City figures may be a little higher because her study measures only urban residents and does not reflect differences in urban and rural populations.

"I am interested in how people get their health information, and, of course, this includes looking at how Kansas Citians get their news in general," Len-Ríos said. "My findings in a sense reflect what we already know: People are reliant on local television for news information, and younger people also are turning to the Internet."

On average, study respondents said they watched local TV news five days a week. National network television news and local newspapers tied for second and third, respectively. Respondents said they watched cable TV news on average only about three days a week and rarely, less than one day a week, read a national newspaper.

There also were differences by age categories. Those 35 years old and older were more likely to report having the daily habit of reading a local newspaper, watching local TV news and viewing network TV news than those 18 to 34. There were no statistical differences between age groups when it came to reading a national newspaper, as this was generally low overall. However, those under 35 reported watching cable TV less often.

"Kansas Citians with higher levels of education reported reading local and national newspapers more frequently and watching television news less frequently than those with lower levels of education," Len-Ríos said. "In addition, those who read a national newspaper are more likely to also go online for news."

The Kansas City survey, designed by Len-Ríos, was a random digit-dial telephone survey of adults in the Kansas City area encompassing eight surrounding counties. The counties surveyed included Cass, Jackson, Clay and Platte counties in Missouri and Wyandotte, Leavenworth, Johnson, and Miami counties in Kansas. Random samples were drawn from each county in proportion to the county's proportion of the Kansas City metro area's total population.

The sampling and survey were conducted by the Survey Research Center of the Policy Research Institute at the University of Kansas under the direction of Don Haider-Markel. The survey was fielded between June 11, 2003, and July 3, 2003, and had a 41 percent response rate. With the 432 agreements to participate, surveyors can have 95 percent confidence that the margin of error is +/- 4.3 percentage points. The margin of error reflects the interval in which the data collected by the Kansas City survey would be within +/- 4.3 percent of the response percentages in 95 out of 100 surveys conducted among adults in the Kansas City area.

The Pew Internet & American Life study, "The Ever-Shifting Internet Population: A New Look at Internet Access and the Digital Divide," is available online at www.pewinternet.org/reports/toc.asp?Report=88.

The University of Kansas William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications is recognized as one of the nation's top schools for the study of advertising, public relations, and print and broadcast journalism. The school has been praised for pioneering curricular efforts to prepare students for media convergence while maintaining its traditional emphasis on writing, reporting and editing. This balance in the curriculum gives students an edge; they graduate well versed in the traditional aspects of journalism and have a unique understanding of the role of new media in society. The result is one of the most forward-looking educational experiences available anywhere in the United States. Visit the KU School of Journalism online at http://www.journalism.ku.edu for more information.