Conceptualizing Media Generations: The Print, Online and Individualized Generations

Authors

  • Oscar Westlund Address: Department of Journalism, Media and Communication, University of Gothenburg, Box 710, 405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden. Email: oscar.westlund@jmg.gu.se Tel: 00 46 786 12 13
  • Mathias A. Färdigh Address: Department of Journalism, Media and Communication, University of Gothenburg, Box 710, 405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden. Email: mathias.fardigh@jmg.gu.se Tel: 00 46 786 42 33

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15847/obsOBS642012616

Keywords:

media generation, news consumption, print generation, online generation, cross-media, Karl Mannheim, complementary effects, displacing effects

Abstract

During the 1990s news publishers established an online presence and in the 2000s they developed cross-media news work. This has resulted in changing news accessing habits, with varied magnitude among generations. This article aims to construct theoretically sound news media generations, through statistical analysis of data from a nationally representative scientific omnibus survey conducted in 2010. Firstly the article presents a descriptive and explanatory analysis of how eight generational cohorts utilize news in print and/or online and/or mobile. Secondly these findings are used for merging the generational cohorts into a conceptualization involving three media generations. The print generation (1920s- 1940s) shows high probability (70%) and scored its highest value for reading only printed newspaper (Pearson’s r = .135). The online generation (1950s-1970s) shows high probability (66%) and scored highest of online only news accessing (Pearson’s r = .135). The heterogeneous news usage patterns exhibited by the individualized generation (1980s-1990s) were accommodated for by two cohorts. The online cohort shows high probability for online-only news usage (60%) and a positive correlation (Pearson’s r = .065). The cross-media cohort marks high probability for cross-media use (77%) and the highest value for cross-media use (Pearson’s r = .141).

Author Biography

Oscar Westlund, Address: Department of Journalism, Media and Communication, University of Gothenburg, Box 710, 405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden. Email: oscar.westlund@jmg.gu.se Tel: 00 46 786 12 13

Oscar Westlund, PhD, holds a joint appointment as postdoctoral researcher at the University of Gothenburg and the IT University of Copenhagen. He serves on the editorial boards of Digital Journalism and Mobile Media & Communication. Westlund is interested in usage patterns and organisational practices emerging from the changing relationships between old legacy media and new digital and mobile media. He has authored “Cross-media News Work – Sensemaking of the Mobile Media (R)evolution” (University of Gothenburg, 2011) and served as guest editor for a special issue in Information, Communication & Society (2012, 15:6) titled “Transforming tensions: Legacy media towards participation and collaboration”. His most recent journal articles (2011-2012) have appeared in Journalism Practice, Northern Lights, European Review, International Journal on Media Management and Behaviour & Information Technology.

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Published

2012-12-29

How to Cite

Westlund, O., & Färdigh, M. A. (2012). Conceptualizing Media Generations: The Print, Online and Individualized Generations. Observatorio (OBS*), 6(4). https://doi.org/10.15847/obsOBS642012616

Issue

Vol. 6 No. 4 (2012)

Section

Articles

License

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