VITAMEDIAS
Cannibalizing Print: Newspaper websites are beginning to cause some cannibalization of print editions, according to Belden Associates' Spring 2003 survey of newspaper website users. Although Belden's earlier quarterly surveys had reported that newspaper sites had no net affect on print subscriptions and had slightly increased single-copy sales, the latest survey reports net losses.
Surveying 8,801 newspaper website users, Belden found that 4 percent started a print subscription but another 6 percent stopped subscriptions, and among those who've never subscribed, 8 percent are buying more single copies in print, but 12 percent are buying less.