SmartHomeOwners

The way people receive their news has changed dramatically in the last decade thanks to online news opportunities.  No longer do folks depend solely on the local newspaper, radio or television station to find out what's happening in their local town or around the world.  More and more people are going online to find news.  So where do you get your news?  Do you still subscribe to a local paper?  Do you check news sources online?  Do you watch news on television?  Or do you use all of the above?

According to a report from Pew Internet, about 59 percent of Americans get their news from both online and offline sources.  Although television news casts are still the largest source of news (according to 78 percent of Americans), online news ranked second place with 61 percent of Americans...just ahead of radio and newspapers.

Canada's consumers are also following the same trend toward online news media.  According to a Canadian Media Research Consortium (CMRC) survey, more than one Canadian in ten accesses news online several times per day.  For the age group 19 through 24, about three in four Canadians access their news online.  For heavy Internet users, the numbers increase drastically, with four in five users getting their news online.

So What's the Appeal?

CMRC's survey also reveals that a high number of consumers that get their news online say that Web news appeals to them because of the ability to click links and view more information (photos, video, etc.). This is particularly true among young readers, which provides a tremendous opportunity for news media sites to reach a new generation of readers.
 
A local newspaper might print one or two photos for a story, but the Internet enables news sites to post entire photo galleries for each big story.  Also, users can pick and choose which links they want to visit or skip by scanning one simple home page.  Viewing online news can be achieved in a flash; however, it's easy to become lost in the vast world of photos and videos if one's not careful!

Another fascinating feature of online news is consumers can participate in discussions on many of the news stories.

There's also a growing number of consumers that access the news via mobile phone, using social media, and through personalized Internet pages that allow the user to choose which media outlets they prefer.  Web users are growing accustomed to the convenience of news coming directly to their browser or phone through RSS feed or pages that are continually updated.

Local Newspapers....Hop Aboard!

Although the mainstream world news media has caught on quickly to Web news, many local papers have not.  They either don't have a website at all, or their website is barely functional enough to serve the fast-paced Web user.  Advertising is a key issue as well.  Some local newspapers are charging for both ads and subscriptions to access the paper online, while others provide only limited information for free and sell online ad space.  If they play their cards right, they can use the Internet to expand their newspaper and still provide news to those who prefer traditional methods.

If you're still pondering the thought of online news, give it a try.  You'll be amazed at the enormous amount of information the Web provides on a daily basis and even hour by hour!