Why do Latinos, more than other groups, prefer to get news on digital devices?
Daniel GonzalezEven more than other groups of Americans, Latinos prefer to get their news from cellphones and other digital devices, according to a new survey.
Nearly nine in 10 Latinos get news from digital devices at least sometimes, and 65% of Latinos prefer digital devices over TV, radio or print, according to a Pew Research Center survey released March 19.
The survey found that the share of Latinos who prefer digital devices over TV, radio or print was significantly higher than that of white Americans, at 55%, and Black Americans, at 50%.
The higher share of Latinos who prefer to get their news from digital devices is likely because Latinos as a group are younger than the overall population, said Michael Lipka, associate director of news and information research at Pew.
"Younger people in general are more likely to prefer getting news from these sorts of digital devices, from social media and stuff like that," Lipka said. "Part of these differences between Latinos and other racial and ethnic groups is just because Latinos are younger. As a younger population, they are naturally more inclined toward these sorts of newer, more digital news sources than older groups."
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Among the survey's other findings, about half of all Latinos get their news mostly in English, and about half also prefer to get their news in English.
However, of Latinos born in the U.S., 81% said they get their news in English, and 79% said they prefer to get their news in English.
Latino immigrants have more varied habits when it comes to the news, the survey found. About 41% of Latino immigrants said they get their news in Spanish, while about 31% said they get the news in English and Spanish about equally.
The survey is intended to provide insight into the ways Latinos get news at a time when the Latino population is growing in size and influence, Lipka said.
"It's an important group," Lipka said.
Latinos make up nearly 20% of the population and are a changing group because of the growing number of Latinos born in the U.S. who are proficient in English, Lipka said.
The amount of attention Latinos pay to news is declining, the survey found. The survey found that the percentage of Latinos who say they follow the news all or most of the time fell from 31% in 2020 to 22% in 2023.
What's more, Latinos have followed the news in recent years less closely than Black and white Americans, the survey found. This is partly explained by the high share of young adults in the Latino population, the survey said. Young people in general are less likely to follow the news closely.
The survey found that about half of all Latinos in the U.S. said they get at least some of their news from news outlets that cater specifically to Latino audiences. Latino immigrants, however, are more likely to get news from Latino news outlets than Latinos born in the U.S., 69% versus 33%.
Reach the reporter at daniel.gonzalez@arizonarepublic.com.