Research suggests the internet is taking over as the third preferred media after TV and radio, a position normally held by newspapers and magazines. The research shows that in households with web access the internet is now the third source for news, views and entertainment - after TV and radio, beating newspapers and magazines into fourth and fifth place. And it seems the change in media habits is not confined to the young or the affluent, or even to men. It applies across all demographic groups. "This is the biggest change and shows how significant the internet has become,' Faye Weeks, who commissioned the study for internet service provider Freeserve, told the Media Guardian. People spend three times longer surfing, emailing and shopping or banking than they do reading a newspaper - the figure rises to five times longer in the evening - and six times longer online than reading a magazine. The news will further worry the publishing industry who are still suffering from an advertising slump. Many fear that if advertisers start to turn to the web instead of print then cover prices will have to rise, and publications will have to accept smaller more dedicated readerships.
Jul 29, 2002
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1 min read
Web defeats print
Research commissioned by Freeserve suggests the internet has overtaken newspapers and magazines to become the third most-used media source in web-connected households, behind TV and radio.