A study of the media usage of 895 adults aged 18-64 has come back bearing mixed tidings for newspapers. Whilst the majority of respondents said they would not abandon traditional mass media, 60 percent said that newspapers now face the toughest hurdle compared to magazines and broadcast, and need to change in order to stay relevent.

The TargetCast survey realeased last month, which looked at usage in relation to gender and age, found that generational difference was a key factor in the way people used certain media, with more adults aged 18-34 obtaining content soley via the Internet, than with those aged 35 and over.

Men are more likely than women to make the digital switch and adapt to consuming their media entirely through digital platforms, though they are also more willing than women to pay for this service via an online subscription, for example.

Steve Farella, president and CEO of TargetCast talked about the importance of the carrying out such research: "In a fragmented media landscape, it's critical that we understand the diversity of consumer media usage and how best to connect our brands with consumers during the 'aperture moments' when they are most receptive to marketing messages."

The survey revealed that newspaper ads were still the most likely to grab the attention of the consumer, with more than 40 percent saying they pay more attention to print ads than other mediums. "While many may declare print media is dead, our findings show that marketing messages in newspapers and magazines still score well in terms of consumer attentiveness and purchase influence," said Peter Sedlarcik, director of insights and analytics at TargetCast.

Despite the confirmation that traditional newspapers need to undergo a makeover to survive in the new digi-centric world, the data is welcome by publications who have to date taken serious financial blows from lost advertising revenue, and comes amidst a general brighter outlook toward the recovery of the ad market.

Source: TargetCast, Adweek