New research data from YouGov Profiles, which continuously surveys nationally representative American adults, sheds light on the sections most commonly read by those who subscribe to a newspaper and spend at least an hour each week with a printed copy.
Domestic news leads but not equally for everyone
Among adults meeting the criteria, three in five (61%) say they usually read the domestic news section. This makes it the most-read category overall, and one where women (67%) are more likely than men (59%) to be engaged.
Sports ranks second, read by 55% overall. But here, the gender difference swings the other way: 59% of men report reading the sports section, compared to 45% of women.
Lifestyle and culture sections skew female
Women are more likely to read several lifestyle-oriented categories. Half of women (53%) say they read the food and drink section, compared to 38% of men. The same pattern holds for fashion (47% vs. 32%), European news (48% vs. 36%), and film and video (41% vs. 26%).
Other cultural sections like arts and culture (29% of women vs. 22% of men) and puzzles/crosswords (29% vs. 25%) follow a similar trajectory, as do less prominent categories such as gossip (22% vs. 18%) and obituary pages (20% vs. 15%).
Men show higher interest in sports and editorial content
Outside of sports, the most-read sections among men include domestic news (59%), money (34%), and editorial pages (25%). While women outpace men in the money category (42% vs. 34%), editorial sections show an edge for men over women (25% vs. 21%).
Sections like cars and motoring, property, and the comment section see equal engagement from both genders, with each attracting around 17% or fewer.
International and niche sections hold steady readership
European news is read by 39% of Americans overall, with women again more likely to read this section (48% vs. 36%). A third of readers (33%) report reading other international or foreign news, with men more engaged (34%) than women (30%). Meanwhile, a range of more niche sections, including home/interiors (17%), diary pages (17%), and TV program details (22%), draw modest but consistent attention.
Methodology: YouGov Profiles is based on continuously collected data and rolling surveys, rather than from a single limited questionnaire. Profiles data for the US is nationally representative and weighted by age, gender, education, region, and race.