• by Masha Geller , April 24, 2002

For all those who said the Internet would kill magazines, researchers at InsightExpress have one word: “Wrong!”

According to a new survey by InsightExpress, Americans still demand that they be able to take their magazines to bed, into the bathroom, or on their commute. Publishers waiting for readers to opt for online over traditional paper magazines may be wasting their time, InsightExpress says.

Today, according to the survey, less than one in three individuals (32%) read any magazines online. Online, readers cite inconvenience (54%); dislike of online banner ads, pop-ups, and general distractions (47%); prices of online magazines (43%); and eye strain (23%) as the main reasons for staying away from online magazines.

InsightExpress found that readers so prefer traditional to online that even of those people who regularly read online magazines, only 22% actually prefer reading magazines online - while 73% expressed that they would not forgo their paper magazine for an online alternative - even for half the price. In fact, while a majority of respondents (63%) currently pay for a traditional magazine subscription - nearly 80% expect online magazines to be free.

It was not all bad news for online publications - readers do believe that online provides more timely content (59%) - however, only 22% perceive that online magazines provide higher quality content than their print versions.