Newspapers still 'king' in India's media world: Survey

New Delhi, March 12: Television is the main source of entertainment in India but newspapers still hold the second place as 'Generation X' continues to demand its daily dose of the printed word with a morning cuppa, says a new survey.

"Indians, unlike in the Western countries, prefer to read their daily newspapers with their morning cup of tea," as per the findings of a maiden survey by leading consultancy Deloitte released Friday, titled first 'State of the Media Democracy Survey - India'.

"No wonder then that newspapers still remain 'king' in the world of media."

According to the survey, focused on consumers between 14 and 69 years of age, 92 percent of the people rated television as the most preferred medium across all age groups, among the other mediums such as newspapers, movies, radio internet, live shows and books.

"This may be due to the fact that television still has a wider reach than any other medium and visuals of television have greater impact on all, irrespective of their educational background or status," the survey noted.

"Second place in the preferred medium is taken by newspapers," says Deloitte, adding: "Among the younger generation, going to movies, listening to music, listening to radio are high on their next preferred medium of entertainment."

This apart, says the survey, the mobile phone has become an important entertainment device for the youth between 20-25, with an average score of at least 64 percent. They also have a preference for personal computers, which has a 46-percent score.

"There is also an observed trend that males are more technology-pro, as compared with women."

Among the other highlights of the survey are:

- Television has the maximum impact on consumers, with newspapers a close second.

- Cell phones, now owned by 84 percent of people, are no longer status symbols.

- Mobile phone, followed by computers, are preferred media for gaming.

- Newspapers are the most discussed during conversations at home, TV shows follow.

- Feature to physically locate friends, shops, hotels most desired tech feature.

The survey was conducted in late 2009 and covered all the four metro cities, along with Bangalore, Lucknow, Ludhiana, Patna, Surat and Indore. It covered both the affluent and the middle class by way of face-to-face interviews.