Topic: On-line Newspapers

10-second review: What are the effects of people reading on-line newspapers?

Title: Surveying the Digital Future. Center for the Digital Future. University of Southern California, Annenberg School for Communication. June 16, 2009.

Summary: Participants read on-line newspapers 53 minutes a week. 22% stopped their subscriptions to print/news magazines. 61% indicate that they would miss their print version if it were not available.

Comment: The advantages that I have found in reading the on-line version of the Philadelphia Inquirer are no rain-soaked newspapers. The newspaper is not scattered all over the driveway. The newspaper is not dropped in the middle of the road to be run over by passing cars. And the newspaper delivery is not periodically missed, causing me to call the newspaper to request one. Another advantage of the on-line version is that it provides the complete story without interrupting my reading to turn to page A4 from page A1. However, a device for translating print text to online is used in printing on the screen and sometimes does not recognize certain words and garbles them.

I tend to favor reading the print version of the paper, probably from habit. I have a feeling that some people will prefer reading online and some people will prefer the print version. There is probably a need for both. But can both survive in the present economy? RayS.