Growing Preference For Online News.

JupiterResearch reported that the number of online adults who prefer the Internet as their main source of news has grown over 35% in the last four years, at the expense of television and newspapers. Currently, over 26% of online adults prefer the Internet for national and international news, compared to 19% in 2001.

JupiterResearch consumer surveys show that the percentage of online adults using the Internet for daily news had been flat – hovering around 50% – for the last few years. Preference for online local news is growing, but hasn’t exceeded 10% among online adults. Young adults, ages 18 to 24, are helping drive the preference trend, especially in national news. Thirty-three percent of online young adults say they prefer the Internet as their primary source of news, while 40% prefer TV and 10% newspapers.

“In the face of relatively flat usage, this increasing preference for the Internet is intriguing,” said David Card, VP and Senior Analyst for JupiterResearch. “While traditional media companies like The New York Times and CNN are doing very well online, our analysis shows that brands like AOL and Yahoo! are increasingly important for online audiences,” added Card.

For more information at http://www.jupitermedia.com