This Just In: More People Getting Their News from the Internet than from Newspapers

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By Eric Sinrod

When you think news, do you think of print newspapers? If so, you are outnumbered, as more people now obtain their news from the Internet, according to a recent survey.

Whereas only 24% of people reported obtaining their national and international news from the Internet as recently as September, 2007, that number now has jumped to 40%, higher than the 35% of people who currently get their news from newspapers, according to a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center for People & the Press in December, 2008. Not to be lost in the shuffle, of course, is that fully 70% of respondents reported that they are informed about the news by television, the most dominant news medium.

The growing interest in the Internet as a news source has been attributed to major news stories in the past year relating to the poor economy, the Wall Street bailout, fluctuating gas prices, and the 2008 Presidential election. Furthermore, as time goes on, the Internet continues to be a more widely used communication and research tool in society.

In addition, people under the age of 30 tend to rely on the Internet more than older age groups. Indeed, 59% of the under-30 set reports that the use of the Internet as a main news source, equal to reliance on television for the news.

We live in the information age, and plainly people can obtain their news from a variety of sources, with the Internet growing in popularity for national and international news.

Eric Sinrod is a partner in the San Francisco office of Duane Morris LLP (http://www.duanemorris.com) where he focuses on litigation matters of various types, including information technology and intellectual property disputes. His Web site is http://www.sinrodlaw.com and he can be reached at ejsinrod@duanemorris.com. To receive a weekly email link to Mr. Sinrod's columns, please send an email to him with Subscribe in the Subject line.

This column is prepared and published for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice. The views expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the author's law firm or its individual partners.

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