The new study shows the internet has surpassed print newspapers and radio, as American’s primary information source. Overall, 46% use four to six different types of media daily. Only local and national television lead, the Internet as American’s primary information source. The Internet is turning news into more of a social experience: More than 80% of respondents search or receive news via e-mailed links, reports Pew Research Center. 

For example, a wide range of statistics on people's news cell habits reveals about 60% get news from both online and offline sources. Mobile users saw the largest increase over the past year from 6% to exceed 26% of Americans using cell phones as their primarily information source.

Mobile technology and social media networks are reshaping the news business with the likes of Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, Google, Yahoo and Microsoft’s BING. The latest shift is being driven by the exploding popularity of SMART cell phones, mobile tablets such as Amazon’s Kindle and Apple’s iPad enabling easily access vast array of media information sources via the Internet. 

For example, younger cell phone owners are apt to search for news on their cell phones. About 43% of those under age 50 said they are mobile news consumers, compared with 15% of older respondents. 

Still, some things don't change. Readers' No. 1 concern when they look for news on their phones: the weather. Of the 37% of cell phone owners who said they use the Internet on their phone, 72% check weather reports. Current events news information came in second with 68%. 

Today’s new multi-platform media environment, news is becoming portable, personalized, and participatory:

Portable: 33% of cell phone owners now access news on their cell phones.  

Personalized: 28% of Internet users have customized their home page to include news from sources and on topics that particularly interest them.  

Participatory: 37% of Internet users have contributed to the creation of news, commented about it, or disseminated it via postings on social media sites like Facebook or Twitter.  

In addition, people use their social networks and social networking technology to filter, assess, and react to news. And they use traditional email and other tools to swap stories and comment on them. Among those who get news online, 75% get news forwarded through email or posts on social networking sites and 52% share links to news with others via those means.  

The results were based on telephone interviews with 2,259 people over the age of 18, conducted between December 28th and January 19, 2010. For questions to that entire group, the margin of error was 2.3 percentage points. On questions to just Internet users, the margin was 2.7 percentage points. 

About Author: Mr. Rickman is a respected analyst, innovative expert in business development and media information services with over 30-years experience, published worldwide. http://www.sustainablevirtualbiz.com