Convergent Mobile News Media: Tranquility Awaiting Eruption?

Resumen

DOI: 10.5294/pacla.2010.13.1.6

Traditional newspapers have become media houses engaged in the cross-media production of news in both print and digital channels. In this context, the mobile phone has become increasingly important, as it has technologically changed from being a voice- and text-oriented communication tool to a multimedia device. More and more newspapers are exploring opportunities for developing mobile services and mobile business models. The article addresses a central question for today’s media managers; that is, how are people using their mobile devices for news? An empirical analysis explores annual usage patterns in Sweden from 2005-2008. It identifies early adopters as men ages 15 to 49 who have a subscription, are technologically oriented and enjoy an active lifestyle. They are often frequent users of online news media. The concluding section discusses whether we are on the verge of an explosion. The findings outlined in the article are founded on annual postal-based surveys conducted by the SOM Institute at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden. Each year, these surveys are sent to 6000 randomly selected Swedish inhabitants, ages 15 to 85. The net response rate averages more than 60 percent, making it a representative sample of the Swedish population. DOI: 10.5294/pacla.2010.13.1.6