TORONTO – Millennials are more willing to pay for news than their older counterparts if it means bypassing ads, says a new poll commissioned by The Canadian Journalism Foundation.
The poll, conducted by Maru/Matchbox, found that 13% of adults between the ages of 18 and 34 choose paid access over free access with advertising, compared to 7% among those aged 35 years and older. The poll results also showed that millennials (42%) are more likely than their older counterparts (27%) to prefer sources that are in-depth and specific versus general.
However, the poll also found an overwhelming majority (91%) of Canadians prefer news and information sources that contain advertising over paying for access to the sources of news without advertising. Roughly two-thirds (69%) of Canadians prefer news and information sources that cover a wide range of topics and provide general knowledge on a range of issues, over sources that provide in-depth knowledge on a specific topic area.
"Persuading audiences that news and information costs money to gather and produce remains the challenge facing news organizations as they continue to lose advertising that traditionally covered those costs," said Christopher Waddell, a CJF board member and professor with Carleton University's School of Journalism and Communication.
