When Americans want their breaking news headlines today, they want them now. That is why the number of people in the United States who go exclusively to the web for their news updates has grown steadily over the past decade. However, nothing can top the king of the news game: local TV stations, especially ones like Fox 4 news in Dallas.
So why does local TV still dominate? People like to see familiar faces on their televisions talking about familiar places to them. They like to know what is happening in the immediate world around them, and they like that information delivered directly to them. Sure, they can get the latest online news articles just by checking the web, but Fox 4 News brings it right to them.
This is why it should come as no surprise that about 57 percent of Americans get their news from television alone. From this group, about 54 percent watch local news for their breaking headline news fix. Of course, it makes sense. Local programming on Fox 4 News and other stations has updates in the morning, in the evening and right at nighttime.
Still, it would be foolish to underestimate the importance of online news. From 2010 to 2011, online news sites saw a 17.2 increase in its popularity, while local news from Fox 4 News and similar stations only saw a 1 percent increase. This could suggest that web news is more convenient, but that is not always the case when it comes to the sites of your local news channels.
A research survey undertaken by the Project for Excellence in Journalism found that 10 times more people sought their news on television than on the Internet. Especially sought after were breaking news updates and weather information. However, now you can watch TV and get other digital information simultaneously.
Since we do live in the digital age, plenty of viewers are sitting in front of the television to watch local Fox 4 News with a friend. No, not their husbands, wives or children. They are watching with their tablets and smartphones in hand. In fact, the U.S. has a higher instance of people viewing the news with a mobile device than the United Kingdom, Germany and Italy. This phenomenon is usually called two-screen viewing.
So when it comes to breaking headlines, Fox 4 News has you covered. At least, on television they do. Their website, as most other local news sites, are not preferred by their users. But the digital age is still young.