Nielsen Millennials Report Details Radio News Consumption

RADIO ONLINE | Monday, September 10, 2018

Nielsen

The second volume of Nielsen's Millennials on Millennials report is out with an in-depth look at topics of interest for the second largest generation group in the U.S. and a major player in the marketing world. The report, constructed by Nielsen's own Millennial associates, uses Nielsen data sets to provide insights into different topics that impact the Millennial generation and the media industry as a whole.

Topics include ways Millennials perceive advertising, social media, communication, entertainment, spending, technology and more. The second volume of the report analyzes and explores emerging media insights and attitudes among U.S. Millennials including social communication and digital music trends.

By analyzing both national TV and digital news consumption along with radio, Nielsen reports just how digitally focused Millennials are. Digital news reaches 88% of Millennials in a month, while it only reaches about 80% of adults 38 and older. TV news reaches less than two-thirds of Millennials, but reaches 90% of the older demographic. Despite radio having the lowest monthly reach among Millennials, at 23%, their time spent with radio actually exceeds digital and TV news among the demographic -- nine hours per month for radio, compared with three hours, and six hours for digital and TV news, respectively.

Millennials, defined as adults ages 21-37, are the most-wanted consumer demographic from a marketer-engagement perspective, yet Nielsen says they're often the most stereotyped as well. This generation group in the U.S. has spending power and influence, and marketers are eager to reach them.

The current media landscape in the U.S. is fragmented, resulting in multiple ways for people to consume news and current events. Nielsen reports that media consumption continues to expand and this year, U.S. adults currently spend over 11 hours a day with media. That's up from a year ago. Not surprisingly, news appetites continue to grow in step with overall media consumption, and Millennials are no strangers to news, which reaches 95% of this demographic and 99% of those 38 and older. However, the older demographic spends three times longer engaging with national news in a year than Millennials.

Despite the difference in time spent with total news, when looking at digital news, both generations consume news on mobile devices equally. Mobile is driving digital news consumption, reaching 30% more digital news consumers than desktop, and a third of Millennial news viewers are reached only by digital news.