Encouraging a Newspaper Reading Habit in College Students

For decades the United States’ newspaper industry has been concerned with a decrease in readership of their publications among young Americans. This is an issue that not only concerns newspaper publishers because of continued declining circulation figures but also concerns society as a whole because of the impact the trend can have on the democratic process of government that depends on informed active citizens. This work investigates prior factors in a person’s life such as family newspaper literacy practices in childhood use of newspapers during primary and secondary education and the development of civic interest that may encourage a newspaper reading habit in young adulthood. Newspaper publishers supporters and supervisors of News­papers in Education programs in the United States and educators (especially reading and civics teachers and college journalism pro­fessors) should find this study helpful in understanding the complexities of how young adults become newspaper readers and interested citizens.