Poll Reveals Web Attitudes

Almost one in two Americans say the Web is their first port of call for news, a new survey finds.

Research from We Media/Zogby Interactive reveals that 48% of people in the US cited the internet as their primary source of news, compared to 10% who said newspapers are their chief source.

Among young readers (aged 18 to 29) this percentage increases to 55% who say they get the majority of their news from online sources.

The Web also came out on top regarding trustworthiness as just shy of one-third of respondents said websites are their most trusted source for news and information.

It was mixed news for the blogosphere though as 59% said they believe blogging is significant for the future of journalism but only 1% considered blogs as their most trusted news source.

The results - available to view here - will be presented at this week’s We Media forum in Miami, which is organised by US media think-tank, the Institute for Connected Society.

iFOCOS co-founder Andrew Nachison commented on the findings: “We see clearly the generational shift of digital natives from traditional to online news - so the challenge for traditional news companies is complex.

“They need to invest in new products and services - and they have. But they’ve also got to invest in quality, influence and impact.

“They need to invest in journalism that makes a difference in people’s lives.

"That’s a moral and leadership challenge - and a business opportunity for whoever can meet it.”