2005 Annual Report - Online Audience

Another big story from 2004 is evidence of increasing diversity on the Internet in terms of race and ethnicity, and, to a lesser extent, gender.

The race gap appears to be narrowing. In 2002, the difference in regular online news use between whites and African Americans was 11 percentage points; in 2004, the difference narrowed to just 4 points.

Interestingly, Hispanics reported the highest percentage of regular online news use in 2004, increasing to 32% from 22% in 2002.17 And they seemed to be going to sites in English rather than Spanish.18

Although men are still more likely than women to be regular consumers of online news, that gap, too, has narrowed, though less dramatically. In 2004, 33% of men described themselves as regular online news consumers, compared to 25% of women, a gap of eight percentage points. Two years earlier, the gap was ten points. The ratio of men to women going online less often is slightly narrower, just four percentage points (68% of men, 64% of women).19

Education, however, remains the biggest indicator of online news use. Half of all college graduates are regular news consumers, which dwarfs those with less education.

And it appears that the gap appears may persist. The number of college graduates and those with some college getting news online continues to show impressive growth. The number of people with only high school diplomas or less getting news online shows very little growth.20

Demographics of "Regular" Online News Consumers, 2004