Weekly Use of News Sources by Age Group

The question

How to approach this table question

A table packs many numbers into rows and columns. Select the features that matter instead of copying cells.

1. Paraphrase the title and say what the rows and columns are.
2. Overview: pick two or three clear patterns, such as the highest row and the biggest change.
3. Group rows or columns that behave alike.
4. Support each point with one or two figures and units.

How to plan this answer

Structure

1. Introduction: paraphrase the table, which shows the percentage of adults in three age groups who used each of five news sources at least once a week in 2025, with an overall column.
2. Overview: television is the most used source overall and among older adults, while younger adults rely far more on social media and news websites, and printed newspapers are the least used.
3. Body paragraph 1: the 18-34 group, with social media (72%) and news websites and apps (61%) at the top and printed newspapers at 9%.
4. Body paragraph 2: the 35-54 and 55+ groups, where news websites lead the middle group (60%) and television leads the oldest group (74%).

Key features to spot

• Television is used by 74% of the 55+ group, the highest single figure in the table, and 22 points more than the 35-54 group (52%).
• Social media reaches 72% of 18-34 year olds but only 27% of the 55+ group, a gap of 45 points.
• News websites and apps lead for the 35-54 group at 60%, ahead of television (52%) and social media (51%).
• Printed newspapers are the least used source among the two younger groups (9% and 18%) and rise with age to 31% among the over-55s.
• Podcasts and radio apps decline with age, from 34% for 18-34 year olds to 19% for the 55+ group.

Useful vocabulary

• the most popular: Television is the most popular source among the 55+ group.
• is used by: Social media is used by 72% of 18-34 year olds.
• far more likely: Younger adults are far more likely to use social media.
• the sharpest age gap: The sharpest age gap appears for social media.
• the overall figure: The overall figure for television is 58%.
• lags behind: Printed newspapers lag behind every other source for under-55s.
• a clear age divide: There is a clear age divide in how adults get their news.
• the top source: News websites and apps are the top source for the 35-54 group.

Common mistakes

• Calling social media the most popular source overall; television (58%) is higher than social media (50%) in the overall column.
• Naming television as the top source for 35-54 year olds, when news websites and apps reach 60% in that group.
• Adding the age-group columns together, when each column is a separate group and the figures are not additive.
• Ignoring the overall column as a reference point for the comparisons.
• Speculating about why older adults prefer television, which the prompt does not allow.

Examiner tip: The table has three age columns and an overall column. Use the overall figures as a reference point, then build each paragraph by age group, naming the top source in each.