Last month the Pew Research Center published a report showing that Americans still prefer watching the news as opposed to reading or listening to it:

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And even though online consumption is growing (up 6% in the last two years), TV continues to be the most preferred platform for news, beating online by 10 points:

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This is all interesting information but what does this mean for your nonprofit or cause?It all comes down to your earned media goal – and identifying your audience!

The new numbers show us that if you want to reach the greatest number of people, TV is the way to go. But keep in mind that most elected officials still value newspapers and that public radio attracts highly educated and civically engaged folks. So it really depends:

  • Do you want to convince the Governor? How about an op-ed in The Denver Post?

  • How might you stir up large numbers of constituents? A TV story might do the trick.

  • Are you hoping to impress prospective major donors? Maybe a Colorado Public Radio story is a good idea.

It's really not complicated at all – always go where you're most likely to find the audience that will help you meet your goal.