Most Americans Not Willing to Pay to Read News Content Online

29 Apr 2011 16:34 Africa/Lagos


Most Americans Not Willing to Pay to Read News Content Online
Even fewer than said they would pay 15 months ago

PR Newswire

NEW YORK, April 29, 2011

NEW YORK, April 29, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- As businesses explore best practices for success in the changing landscape created by the Internet, some companies have discussed charging for access to online content that was previously free. Some media outlets have discussed doing this, and The New York Times recently began charging online readers who view over 20 articles per month. But there may be trouble ahead as a recent Adweek/Harris Poll found that a large majority said they would be willing to pay "nothing" per month to read a daily newspaper's content online (80%). Of the one in five who would pay, 14% said they would pay between $1 and $10 per month while very few said that they would be willing to pay between $11 and $20 (4%) or more than $20 per month (2%).

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100517/NY06256LOGO)

These are some of the findings of a new Adweek/ Harris Poll, survey of 2,105 U.S. adults surveyed online between March 29 and 31, 2011 by Harris Interactive.

Interestingly, while online paywalls are becoming more common, fewer people say they would be willing to pay to read content online now, than said so in late 2009—20% say they would be willing to pay for a daily newspaper's content online today, compared to 23% who said so in December 2009.

Other findings of the recent poll include:





* Younger adults are more likely than those older to pay for a daily newspaper's content online—over a quarter of adults aged 18-34 say they would (26%) compared to between 15% and 18% of all other age groups;

* Men are more willing to pay than women are—a quarter of men say they would (25%) with 18% saying they would pay between $1 and $10 per month, while only 15% of women say they would pay anything to read a daily newspaper's content online; and,

* The more education a person has the more likely they are to be willing to pay to read a daily newspaper's content online—over a quarter of college graduates say they would pay (28%) compared to one in five people who have attended some college (19%) and just 15% who have not attended any college at all.


So What?

Currently several major publications charge readers for their content online including the Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, and most recently The New York Times . Unfortunately it seems that as these companies are adapting to a business environment increasingly dominated by the Internet, their readers are slower to embrace, or are resistant to, certain changes, especially when it comes to paying for something that has been free for so long. This raises several questions and areas for more research, including: how many Americans rely on the Internet for their news content, how particular are Americans about what publication or source they go to for their news, and, how do people think that media companies with large online presences should pay for the work that they do.


Click here for the complete details.

New iVillage Study Reveals That Majority of Women 18-34 Go Online First With Health Questions - Before Turning to Their Doctor or Other Family Members

Photo from FOTOSA

18 Mar 2010 05:00 Africa/Lagos

New iVillage Study Reveals That Majority of Women 18-34 Go Online First With Health Questions - Before Turning to Their Doctor or Other Family Members

82% of Women Say They Are Uncomfortable Discussing Health Concerns With Friends and Family

NEW YORK, March 18 /PRNewswire/ -- iVillage today announced the results of a new online survey conducted in February on its behalf by Harris Interactive®, which illustrates how heavily online women(1) rely on the Internet as a health resource - before turning to a family member or visiting a doctor. The survey findings were unveiled by Jennifer Barrett, Health Editor for iVillage, and coincide with the launch of iVillage.com/Health.

Anonymous peer networking and sharing common experiences is what drives women online for health matters, with 4 out of 5 (82%) saying there are reasons to feel uncomfortable when discussing health concerns or questions with friends or family members. Over half of women (59%) said that discussing health concerns with people they know can be embarrassing.
The study shows that the Internet is often women's first destination for insights and solutions for everyday health questions.
-- 62% were twice as likely to turn to a Website - over their own mothers
(32%) - with health concerns or questions that are not extremely
serious
-- 64% say they use online communities to discuss health concerns or
questions that they have not discussed with anyone else
-- 49% say online is the first place they would go to research a health
question, nearly double the number who say they would go to the doctor
first (25%), and significantly more than those who would first turn to
a family member (15%) or a friend with a similar condition/issue (6%)

"This research further demonstrates what iVillage has always known about women - they place tremendous value in the power of support from their online peers, as well as expert advice, to resolve the many demands they face," said Barrett. "One of the keys to living a healthier life is to be a more educated, informed patient. iVillage Health will be an invaluable resource to women in that respect," said Barrett.
The study also highlights how online health resources play a key role in educating patients prior to seeing a physician, with 30% of women saying that online community support allows them to better prepare for a doctor's visit.

Moms are the key decision-makers in managing the health needs of their families, and Web-based resources are more important than ever for this busy group of women. The study reveals that moms are more likely to turn to a Website with health concerns or questions that are not extremely serious than they are to turn to their own spouse (64% vs. 41% respectively), with more than half (53%) having discussed a health issue with an online peer.

About the Survey
This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of iVillage between February 18 and 22, 2010 via the QuickQuery online omnibus service among 2,618 U.S. adults age 18+, of whom 1,342 are women ages 18+ and 310 are the mothers of a child(ren) ages 17 and under and older. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables, please contact Mary Ellen Mooney, iVillage, 212-651-5198.
About iVillage

With approximately 30 million unique visitors per month, iVillage is the content-driven community for women on the web, where they can find the most meaningful content, real-life conversations and the tools they need for their busy lives. The site focuses on categories that best serve women's needs, including Food, Health, Entertainment, Family, Beauty & Style. Additional businesses and brand extensions within iVillage Networks include iVillage UK, NBC Digital Health Network, Astrology.com and GardenWeb. In addition, iVillage enjoys a strategic partnership with BlogHer, the leading participatory news, entertainment and information network for women online. iVillage Inc., acquired by NBC Universal, Inc. in May 2006, is based in New York City, and is part of the NBC Universal Women & Lifestyle Entertainment Networks Group. Join iVillage's Facebook group at www.facebook.com/ivillage and follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ivillage.

About Harris Interactive
Harris Interactive is one of the world's leading custom market research firms, leveraging research, technology, and business acumen to transform relevant insight into actionable foresight. Known widely for the Harris Poll and for pioneering innovative research methodologies, Harris offers expertise in a wide range of industries including healthcare, technology, public affairs, energy, telecommunications, financial services, insurance, media, retail, restaurant, and consumer package goods. Serving clients in over 215 countries and territories through our North American, European, and Asian offices and a network of independent market research firms, Harris specializes in delivering research solutions that help us--and our clients--stay ahead of what's next. For more information, please visit www.harrisinteractive.com.

NOTES:(1) The results of this survey have been weighted to represent the overall online population of adults using targets on the basis of Internet usage (hours per week) and connection type as well as by age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, region and household income even where not specified.

Source: iVillage
CONTACT: Mary Ellen Mooney of iVillage, +1-212-651-5198
Web Site: http://www.ivillage.com/
http://www.harrisinteractive.com/

Online Newspaper Audience Growth: Good News? Not Really.

The Newspaper Association of America trumpeted the release of first-quarter online audience data last week with this headline: “Newspaper Web Site Audience Increases More Than Ten Percent In First Quarter To 73.3 Million Visitors,” followed by the glowing subhead: “Newspaper Web Sites Set Records for Audience, Page Views and Active Reach; Latest Scarborough Research: Newspapers Attract Key Demographics in Print and Online.”

Pardon me, then, for reading and questioning the details and putting the data in context, something the NAA doesn’t do.

NAA reports:

• First quarter traffic to newspaper Web sites was reported as 73.3 million unique visitors (average per month) by Nielsen*.
• That’s 43.6 percent of all U. S. internet users, and up 10.5 percent versus the same time last year.
• Page views grew from 3.1 billion per month in last year’s first quarter, to 3.5 billion in 2009.
• NAA CEO John Sturm suggests this points to “digital success.”

Context:

• Each of the top three news destination on the Web (MSNBC, CNN and Yahoo!News) individually each drew more than half the unique visitors of the entire newspaper industry in March. Year-over-year, MSNBC grew 9 percent, CNN 4 percent, and Yahoo!News 16 percent.
• Yahoo!News alone gained 5.2 million uniques in March, or nearly 70 percent of the gain of the entire newspaper industry.
• Newspaper page views at 3.5 billion per month are less than one percent of total U.S. page views (386 billion in February).
• Time spent on newspaper sites in February, 43 minutes, 9 seconds per month per NAA/Nielsen, compares with total time online of 61 hours, 11 minutes and 56 seconds per U.S. person. This means newspaper sites get the attention of the U.S. online audience just 1.2 percent of the time.
• The total U.S. online audience (what Nielsen calls the “active digital media universe”) in February was 167 million individuals. As NAA does note, 43.6 percent of that audience visited a newspaper web site, but given that newspaper site traffic works out to only about 1.6 page views per reader per day, many of the newspaper site uniques are clearly represent one-time-only traffic.

NAA further reports:

Keep reading »

Tags: NAA, newspapers, online audience

Photo: PR Newswire and Publish2 Join Forces to Help Journalists Access and Share News Online

Andrew Hartman, Director, Online Services, PR Newswire, announces partnership with Publish2 that will enable members of PR Newswire for Journalists and Publish2 to utilize the services that each organization offers to the media community. (PRNewsFoto/PR Newswire) NEW YORK, NY AND RESTON, VA UNITED STATES 02/04/2009

5 Feb 2009 15:35 Africa/Lagos


Photo: PR Newswire and Publish2 Join Forces to Help Journalists Access and Share News Online

Partnership Brings 'Link Journalism' to PR Newswire for Journalists' Members; Introduces Publish2 Participants to PRNJ's Global Media Community

NEW YORK and RESTON, Va., Feb. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- PR Newswire and Publish2, a technology company dedicated to helping journalism survive and thrive on the Web, announced today a partnership that will enable members of PR Newswire for Journalists and Publish2 to utilize the services that each organization offers to the media community..


To view the Multimedia News Release, go to: http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/prnewswire/36906/


(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090205/NY67064 )
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000306/PRNLOGO )


For PR Newswire for Journalists (PRNJ) members, access to Publish2's service provides powerful tools for managing their research, incorporating links into their daily workflow, and building their individual journalist brand by creating profile pages that showcase their work. Key to Publish2's platform is its unique "link journalism" technology. The system enables reporters to easily discover, save, and publish links to the most interesting content on the web. Those links can be combined with journalists' original reporting to create news hubs that help to drive audience engagement.


"The results of the Pew Research Center for People and the Press' December 23rd report confirmed what many in the media industry already knew: the Internet has surpassed print media as the primary news source for the majority of individuals," said Andrew Hartman, director, Online Services, PR Newswire. "As consumers increasingly turn to the internet for their news, there is mounting pressure for journalists to become more involved in online news and to keep audiences engaged. Our partnership with Publish2 offers members of PRNJ a unique opportunity to harness the power of Web 2.0 through 'link journalism' to enhance their research, reporting and overall online presence."


PR Newswire's award-winning, media-only Web site, PRNJ, serves as a trusted source of news and information for journalists from more than 27,000 organizations around the world, as well as for thousands of bloggers. Now available to members of Publish2, PRNJ provides a platform for reporters and bloggers to access news of interest to them through customized news feeds based on keywords, industries, subjects, companies or geographic regions and states. In addition, PRNJ offers reporters and bloggers access to news releases through more than 500 RSS feeds covering different subject matters and industries.


"PRNJ will add greatly to our community of journalists on Publish2 by introducing our services to journalists at its 27,000 media organizations," said Scott Karp, CEO, Publish2. "And our journalist members can now take advantage of PRNJ's comprehensive news release platform to help their research and reporting on the web."


PR Newswire for Journalists members who have accounts with Publish2 will easily be able to save or post a news release accessed via PRNJ by clicking on the "Save It" button that appears in the upper right hand corner of every news release. Publish2 users who click on a news release link within the Publish2 platform will be directed to PRNJ where they can access the release directly. If users are members of one site but not the other, they will be prompted to take a few easy steps to sign up for the other platform where they can begin publishing links and viewing their saved news releases.


About Publish2


Publish2 (http://www.publish2.com/) is a technology company dedicated to helping journalism survive and thrive on the web. Publish2's link journalism platform is powering the next generation of news gathering and news distribution. Journalists across the world use Publish2 to make research and reporting more efficient and effective. Major news sites and vertical niche sites use Publish2 for prominent link-aggregation features that increase traffic and engagement. Publish2 is based in Reston, VA.


About PR Newswire


PR Newswire Association LLC (http://www.prnewswire.com/) provides electronic distribution, targeting, measurement and broadcast services on behalf of tens of thousands of corporate, government, association, labor, non-profit, and other customers worldwide. Using PR Newswire, these organizations are able to reach a variety of critical audiences including the news media, the investment community, government decision-makers, and the general public with their up-to-the-minute messages in text and multimedia format.


Established in 1954, PR Newswire has offices in 14 countries and routinely sends its customers' announcements to outlets in more than 170 countries and in more than 40 languages. Utilizing the latest in communications technology, PR Newswire content is considered a mainstay among news reporters, investors and individuals who seek breaking announcements from the source. PR Newswire's leading services include ProfNet(SM), eWatch(TM), MEDIAtlas(TM), Search Engine Optimization, MediaRoom, MediaSense(TM), MultiVu(TM), U.S. Newswire, the preeminent policy newswire in the industry, Vintage Filings, the fastest growing Edgar filing company, and Hispanic PR Wire, LatinClips and Hispanic Digital Network, the foremost Hispanic communications services. PR Newswire is a subsidiary of United Business Media Limited, a leading global business media company that serves professional commercial communities around the world. For more information, go to http://www.unitedbusinessmedia.com/.


About United Business Media Limited


UBM focuses on two principal activities: worldwide information distribution, targeting and monitoring; and, the development and monetisation of B2B communities and markets. UBM's businesses inform markets and serve professional commercial communities -- from doctors to game developers, from journalists to jewellery traders, from farmers to pharmacists -- with integrated events, online, print and business information products. Our 6,500 staff in more than 30 countries are organised into specialist teams that serve these communities, bringing buyers and sellers together, helping them to do business and their markets to work effectively and efficiently.


For more information, go to www.unitedbusinessmedia.com

Contact:
Rachel Meranus
Vice President, Public Relations
PR Newswire
rachel.meranus@prnewswire.com
+1.201.360.6776

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PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com Video: http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/prnewswire/36906
Source: PR Newswire

CONTACT: Rachel Meranus, Vice President, Public Relations of PR
Newswire, +1-201-360-6776, rachel.meranus@prnewswire.com


Web Site: http://www.prnewswire.com/


Company News On-Call: http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/146750.html
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