June 16, 2005
Reader Shift to Web Papers Grows
More than one-fifth of readers of online newspapers have shifted their newspaper reading almost entirely to the Web, says a new report from Nielsen//NetRatings.
According to the latest Nielsen//NetRatings @Plan Summer 2005 report of online-versus-offline newspaper consumption, 21 percent of Web users who read newspapers have transferred their newspaper reading primarily to the Internet.
However, the vast majority of readers who access newspapers online, 72 percent, still pick up the print editions of their favorite newspapers.
As this shift toward online newspaper reading continues, newspapers are responding with more original content for the Web and added content that plays to the Web's strengths. "Many online editions now feature original content and have developed an online strategy that includes online message boards and editorial blogs, which leverage the medium's strengths of interactivity and immediacy," said Gerry Davidson, Nielsen//NetRatings senior media analyst in a statement.
Interestingly, the online-only newspaper reader is more often male. According to the report, men make up 53 percent of online readers, while women comprise 47 percent. Conversely, women account for 57 percent of those who read newspapers primarily in print.
