News reading habits of young university students in Hong Kong in the Age of New Media

A number of recent studies indicated a rapid increase in the use of mobile devices and apps worldwide. Nevertheless, little research has been done on how the new media affect young adults’ reading habits. The current study addresses this research gap by studying the news reading habits of 118 young university students in Hong Kong in the Internet era. Selected key findings of the study, mainly obtained through analyzing the quantitative data from an online survey, are as follows: (1) smart phone apps were students’ most favorite news source; (2) ease of access was students’ key concern when selecting news sources; (3) students of both genders had a clear preference to local news, followed by international and China news; (4) students’ news reading habits had little to do with their personal income or their parents’ education level; (5) students read news more often and for a longer time if their families had a habit of buying printed newspaper; and (6) students spend less time in news reading when compared to the past. The study also reveals a clear uprising of new media for news access, threatening the role of traditional news sources such as printed newspapers and radio.