By: Jennifer Saba Newspapers are lagging as the dominant source for national information, though the medium still remains the first source for local news, according to a new study released from Outsell today.
The research and advisory firm based in Burlingame, Calif., found that 71% of those surveyed said they get their national news from broadcast news shows and cable TV, while only 33% said they get it from newspapers. Furthermore, online sites like Google/Yahoo/MSN/AOL are not far behind -- 28% of those surveyed said that's where they get their national news.
On the local front, newspapers are the main source of information. The survey shows that 61% of respondents say they get their local news from newspapers, followed by 58% for TV and 35% for radio. "The good news here for newspapers," the report stated, "is that newspapers online surpass both Google/Yahoo/MSN/AOL (a miniscule 6%) and other online sites (4%), as places to turn for local news."
The survey accounts for newspaper print and newspaper Web sites separately. Outsell surveyed 2,557 U.S. adults over the Web and 253 adults by phone during December 2005.
That said, online newspapers fall way behind other media as the primary and secondary source for "news right now." Sixty-four percent of respondents get their current news on TV and cable. Coming in second is Google/Yahoo/MSN/AOL with 37%. Print newspapers follow radio and other online sites. Only 13% of respondents get their current news from newspaper Web sites.
"Why? American dailies have been slow to transform their vast newsroom assets into 18-and-24 hour news-producing machines," according to the report. "They largely depend on Reuters and The Associated Press to provide currency."
Those surveyed asked where they go to get news "first thing in your day," TV and cable was the go-to medium with 57%. Thirty-nine percent of respondents said print newspapers were the first place they went in the day for news.
When conducting research for consumer products, surprisingly, newspaper Web sites scored very low, the second-to-worst medium, with 8%. Google/Yahoo/MSN/ AOL came in first with 58%, followed by other online sites with 44%. Newspapers in print ranked fifth with 22%.
Additionally, Outsell found that 48% of Americans have used eBay, Craigslist, or similar sites over the past year to buy or sell things. Ten percent of those surveyed said they bought print classified advertising, while 9% said they used free classifieds.
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