More Hispanics in the U.S. are getting their news in English and less in Spanish, according to a recent study by the Pew Research Center.
About 82 percent of Hispanics surveyed last year reported consuming at least some news in English, up from 78 percent in 2006. As English language news consumption increased, the study found that news received in Spanish dropped from 78 percent to 68 percent.
The shift in media consumption is due in part to the demographic changes of the Hispanic population, said Mark Lopez, associate director for the Pew Hispanic Center. With more Hispanics born and raised in the U.S., the level of English proficiency is also rising.
“When you take a look at the Hispanic immigrants who are in the United States, their average length of time in the United States is growing,” Mr. Lopez said. “And the longer immigrants in the United States stay, the more likely they are able to speak English proficiently.”
Approximately 31 million Hispanics ages 5 and older are proficient in English and about 800,000 under-18 Hispanics come of age approximately each year, Mr. Lopez said.
“When you look at those who are in (the newer) generation, you’ll find that they are almost exclusively watching television in English,” Mr. Lopez said, adding, “You’ll find the same thing is true when it comes to news media.”
Among some other findings in the study:
— Television is the most popular media outlet with 86 percent surveyed citing television as their main source of news.
— Hispanics get their content from an average of 2.4 platforms including TV, radio, newspaper and the Internet.
— Hispanics are embracing the Internet. Fifty-six percent reported using it as a source of news, an increase from 37 percent in 2006.
Read more at HispanicBusiness.com