TV Still Beat Online As Top News Source

August 18, 2008 10:00 a.m. EST

New York, NY (AHN) - Despite the growth of online news and more Americans obtaining information from the Internet, a new study finds TV remains the top source for news.

Some 46 percent of those who responded to a survey said they had a "heavy reliance" on television news, with people increasingly turning to cable television and away from traditional network nightly news broadcasts, according to the Pew Research Center.

The survey found the heaviest news consumers were so-called "integrators" who used both television and online to gather news. That group, typically older, more educated and affluent, comprises 23 percent of those who responded to the survey.

The percent of people who read newspapers has fallen to 34 percent from 40 percent in 2006. As print's audience dropped, demand for online news has grown to 25 percent compared to 18 percent two years ago.

They survey also revealed a growing portion of young people (those below 25-years old) seek out no daily news at all. The Pew Research Center said nearly a third of that age group have no news source, an increase of 25 percent a decade ago.