More Americans turning to Web for news
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Nearly 70 percent of Americans believe traditional journalism is out of touch, and nearly half are turning to the Internet to get their news, according to a new survey.
While most people think journalism is important to the quality of life, 64 percent are dissatisfied with the quality of journalism in their communities, a We Media/Zogby Interactive online poll showed.
"That's a really encouraging reflection of people who care A) about journalism and B) understand that it makes a difference to their lives," said Andrew Nachison, of iFOCOS, a Virginia-based think tank which organized a forum in Miami where the findings were presented.
Nearly half of the 1,979 people who responded to the survey said their primary source of news and information is the Internet, up 
from 40 percent just a year ago. Less than one third use television to get their news, while 11 percent turn to radio and 10 percent to newspapers.
More than half of those who grew up with the Internet, those 18 to 29, get most of their news and information online, compared to 35 percent of people 65 and older. Older adults are the only group that favors a primary news source other than the Internet, with 38 percent selecting television.
Howard Finberg, of the Poynter Institute in St. Petersburg, Florida, said the public often doesn't understand that the sources they are accessing online such as Google News and Yahoo News pull stories from newspapers, television, wire services and other media sources.
"It's delivered in a non-traditional form, that doesn't necessarily mean there isn't traditional journalism underneath it," he explained.
But Finberg said the study does support the belief among many large media companies that focusing on local issues is important to their journalistic and economic survivalI reckon the key point here is in that second to last paragraph.... almost every story we read here on the Internet was created by a journalist working for a main stream media (MSM) somewhere.. We need to keep that in mind before saying "Kill all the journalists". The benefit that this great Internet provides is that it removes the "sieve" that the MSM has historically felt was their province.. The Cronkite's and Rather's, the editors of the WSJ and NY Times, all believed their role was to determine what we needed to hear and know. Now, because of folks like Drudge and many other blogs, it all gets out there if we are willing to look for it!
Case in point (for you older folks), until the Internet came along we all thought that the Tet Offensive in 'Nam was a great American defeat. Now we know just the opposite was true. Even the North Vietnamese Generals have acknowledged as much! But not Cronkite or the Gray Lady!
Right on Bloggers and all you Internet supporters!!
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