Use of and Satisfaction with Newspaper Sites in the Local Market: Exploring Differences between Hybrid and Online-Only Users

Abstract

This study explores U.S. newspapers' online readership in the local market by comparing (1) “hybrid” readers who access both the print and online versions and (2) online-only readers. Survey data gathered from twenty-eight newspaper sites show that hybrid readers outnumber online-only users by a 2-to-l margin and use their local newspaper sites more actively. Regression analyses identify predictors of site satisfaction and user type. These findings provide new perspectives on the nature of multiplatform news consumption as readers weigh related goods of news and information.