Newspaper Readers Prefer the Web

Lisa Baertlein writes on Reuters, “Nearly one-fifth of Web users who read newspapers now prefer online to offline editions, according to a new study from Internet audience measurement company Nielsen//NetRatings.

The first-time study found that 21 percent of those Web users now primarily use online versions of newspapers, while 72 percent still read print editions. The remaining 7 percent split their time between online and offline editions. Comparable historic statistics were not available.

“A significant percentage of newspaper readers have transferred their preference from print to online editions,” said Nielsen//NetRatings senior media analyst Gerry Davidson.”