Recently, I was talking with my cousin about an article she’d read “in the paper.” As she told the story, she waved her hand mid-sentence, using big gestures like she always does. But instead of miming opening a newspaper — like people used to — her fingers moved in a scrolling motion, like she was swiping on a phone.
It caught me off guard for a moment, but then I realized: I’ve seen this before. And I’m seeing it more and more.
The gesture may seem small, but it speaks volumes.
It’s the difference between “newspapers” and newspaper media. The delivery has expanded, but the core habit remains: people are still reading “the paper.” They’re just doing it differently — digitally, on the go, still in print, and often across multiple platforms.
Recently, we conducted a simple audit of newspaper readership in Nebraska, looking at just two key factors: print/replica (e-edition) and website readership. Even with that limited scope, the results were impressive: newspaper media reaches over 50% of Nebraska adults each week.
But that only tells part of the story.
A more in-depth 2025 market study by Coda Ventures takes a holistic look at how people engage with newspaper media today. It includes not just print and digital editions, but also social media, e-newsletters, and other digital formats.
The findings?
That’s not nostalgia. That’s relevance.
When I helped conduct a similar study in Colorado back in 2016, the data showed a neat split: about one-third of readers got their news via print only, one-third digital only, and one-third through both formats.
Fast forward to Nebraska in 2025, and the landscape has shifted. According to the study – which was paid for by OnePress and the Nebraska Press Association Foundation – 65% of readers consume newspaper media across both print and digital platforms — a clear sign that audiences aren’t choosing one or the other. They’re choosing both.
This dual-format engagement underscores a key truth: readers value access. It’s also community dependent. Some areas have less access to broadband. And newspaper media has evolved to deliver it — wherever, whenever, and however they want it.
More than just how people consume the news, the why is equally important.
The study confirms what many of us already know: newspaper media is the most trusted news source. It’s the #1 place Nebraskans turn for information about local schools, government, politics, entertainment, and medical issues.
That kind of trust isn’t built overnight. It comes from consistent, in-depth, and community-rooted reporting—something that newspapers, especially local ones, have delivered for decades.
And the impact goes deeper than headlines. Communities with strong newspapers tend to have:
In the words of one Douglas County resident interviewed in the study: “Without a free press and having accountability to the government, we have nothing.”
Newspaper media audiences aren’t just passive readers. They’re more likely to be community-minded, informed, and willing to take action. They're also more affluent and better educated—traits that advertisers pay close attention to. And while different generations consume their news differently, the shared value remains: newspapers matter.
The next time someone says “the paper is dying,” take a moment to really look. Not at circulation alone. Not at the format. But at the full picture — how people interact with newspaper media today.
It might look like a finger scrolling on a screen instead of a page turning — but the core habit, the community impact, and the trust? Those are alive and well.
And that’s something worth talking about — with or without hand gestures.
Questions: Contact Jerry Raehal at jerry@onepressne.com