Online news sites more liked than ever

Internet news sites are more popular than ever before and are continuing to erode newspapers' mindshare, research has found.

Analyst house Jupiter Research has discovered that the number of adults with internet access who prefer to get their news from the web, rather than from TV and newspapers, has risen by 35 per cent over the last four years, with 26 per cent of the population now listing the web as their favourite news source.

The research also found that the young are particularly keen on virtual news, with 33 per cent now addicted to internet news and just 10 per cent favouring getting their news fix from the traditional dailies.

TV, however, remains the favourite national and international news medium for those aged between 18 and 24, with 40 per cent preferring it to newspapers and the net.

Among all age groups, local news via the web has yet to attract much interest and just 10 per cent of younger users now say they favour getting their local news updates online.