¶ … Internet Both big and small newspaper publishers around the world have realized the importance of having an online version of their publications. As a result, readers across the world have excellent access to information on a global scale. Across the world, readers can check news headlines with the click of a mouse and many online newspapers update their news s hourly.

Over the past 25 to 50 years, the number of newspaper readers in the United States has decreased (Erlindson, 1995). There has been a steady decline of readership in terms of how often people read print newspapers, how many people read more than one newspaper, and the proportion of daily newspaper circulation to number of households.

One of the problems that are correlated to this decline is the increased cost of producing and distributing a print newspaper. Over the past 25 years (Bogart, 1989), as newspaper readership has dropped, the costs of producing a newspaper have become significantly greater.

Additionally, newspaper advertisers, which are the major source of income for newspapers, have turned their interests from traditional print newspapers to more focused and penetrable sources, such as direct mil and online markets (Bogart, 1989).

Oddly enough, though, the impact of online publications on print circulation appears slight (Ziegler, 1995). Studies have not accurately revealed a direct correlation between reading news online and a decline in print edition subscriptions or readership. Research reveals that people are spending more time on the Internet at the expense of most other media, such as television and magazines, but print newspapers...

The key to a successful online newspaper is attracting visitors. Online publications do so by offering something extra than what is already published in the print newspaper. Many online newspapers offer useful, timely information and highlight the unique aspects of local communities in their Web site content. In addition, the sites must continue to offer breaking news and information, and must be updated regularly to keep readers coming back.
A recent survey, comparing 12,000 online newspaper readers with a group of online users who rarely visit newspaper Web sites, revealed that online newspapers are the number one source of local news and information online (Beard, 2002). The group of online users proved to be "power" users, as they had both more time and money to spend online; were more likely to use broadband service; and were more interested in every category and form of advertising available.

The survey revealed that the number one reason people went online was to use e-mail. The next top reasons for using the Internet were local news, national news and entertainment information.

The group of online users believes their online newspapers to be more useful sources of advertising and marketing than television, radio, shopping freebies or yellow pages.

According to a recent study by the Newspaper Association of America (Beard, 2002), regular online newspaper readers spend a significantly…