A survey on current and future media, conducted by The Rosen Group, has revealed that the majority of American readers still read print publications and pay for subscriptions. Nearly half of the survey respondents think this will still be the case in 10 years.
Though numbers of readers who consider print content relevant are similarly high for both newspapers and magazines, the latter are stronger in retaining paying readers. Nearly 80% of readers surveyed subscribe to magazines; even weekly news titles remain popular with 65% of respondents. While 83% of readers also find daily newspapers relevant, only 53% actually subscribe and only 30% look at a print paper daily.
Despite newspapers’ attempts to move online, it appears that they continue to lose the battle to Web-only news outlets. Overall, the Internet has cornered the breaking-news segment, with 29% of respondents identifying a news Web site as the most indispensable source. In contrast, only 18% and 16% prefer print and online newspapers, respectively.
According to The Rosen Group founder and president Lori Rosen, these findings suggest that despite the strong shift to online news consumption, Americans still find print publications to be important sources for entertainment, advice and lifestyle information. Rosen thinks that computers and hand-held devices do not yet have the same draw as the satisfaction of holding a print publication.
Still, survey respondents are not certain whether this will remain the same. While 45% said newspapers and magazines will still exist in another decade, 40% were uncertain.