Newspapers Hit New Low, Rank Below Internet, TV For Info

from MediaDailyNews:

Print newspapers are losing their position as key sources of information in the minds of consumers, according to a new report from the University of Southern California Annenberg School for Communications and Journalism's Digital Future Project.

While discouraging, this finding isn't particularly surprising, coming amid long-term declines in print circulation and advertising.

According to the USC survey, 56% of Internet users said they considered print newspapers to be "important" or "very important" sources of information. That's down from 60% just two years ago.

In the latest survey, print newspapers trail the Internet, at 78%, and TV, at 68%, as important sources of information. Somewhat paradoxically, Internet users expressed a fair amount of distrust for content which appears online, with 61% saying less than half this "information" is reliable, and 14% saying that little or none of it is reliable. (This last figure is up from previous years.)

Also, 18% of Internet users have stopped subscribing to a newspaper or magazine because they can get the same (or equivalent) content more conveniently or at lower cost online.

Almost one-quarter -- 22% -- said they would not miss their print newspaper if it ceased publication. Tellingly, only 37% said they would switch to another paper in this hypothetical scenario.

In terms of advertising, a large majority of Internet users -- 70% -- said they find online advertising "annoying." But it appears to be better than paying for online content: 55% said they would rather have free content supported by online advertising than paid content.

Printers' ink is a petroleum product.  Not using it would further reduce our dependence on hostile foreign oil resources.  Just sayin'.
 
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