Web Trounces Magazines as Preferred Information Source

Posted on May 11, 2001

A Web study, conducted by the Content Intelligence Group, shows a dramatic preference for the Internet as an information source for both personal and special interests and business information needs. For personal and special interest information needs, 63 percent of survey respondents chose the Internet compared with just 18 percent who chose magazines; for work-related information, 48 percent selected the Web as their favorite source while only 7 percent preferred magazines.

The study, cited in the featured article, "Media Power Shift," is showcased in a new publication, Content Intelligence. The article also notes that once consumers begin using the Web, they use it more frequently as their experience increases and that these same users also tend to use traditional media sources significantly less. The article suggests that understanding how overall media usage behavior has changed for consumers with the most Web experience may provide insight and a possible basis for predicting future behavior patterns.

``The research shows that exposure and experience with the Web is changing consumers' fundamental attitude toward traditional media,'' comments John Mc Intyre, managing editor of Content Intelligence, at the launch of the premiere edition this morning. ``In comparison with other media sources, we found that user control is a critical preference attribute of the Internet as a medium, providing individual control over content source, time of access, content depth, and other parameters,'' Mc Intyre explains. He adds, ``The survey reveals that there is a fundamental shift in media consumption occurring, and traditional publishers will need to evolve as Web adoption and use increases.''

Content Intelligence, published monthly, probes content consumers' attitudes and behaviors with original primary research. The print publication is linked to the Content Intelligence website where subscribers receive additional research data, commentaries and opinion articles, and an electronic version of each monthly issue. The publication is designed to provide print and digital content business executives with strategic research and insight. The complete May 2001 issue and survey methodology can be downloaded free from the Content Intelligence website. The Content Intelligence Group was established in 2000 by Lyra Research.