Are News Consumers Asking For The Impossible?

(CBS/AP)

The Project for Excellence in Journalism points us to a recent study by the Radio and Television News Directors Foundation which indicates that news consumers are "are looking for the best of both worlds. They want instantaneous information delivered on demand, but at the same time, they're far more comfortable with traditional 'old media' platforms." For example, 78% of 1,000 respondents said they wanted to consume news on television while just 13% preferred to watch such programming online. But they also want a measure of control over the information they receive, all of which paints a rather conflicting picture, according to PEJ's analysis:

While people prefer their traditional media choices, they are looking for more up-to-date content. Seventy percent of them wanted news on-demand, with 9 out of 10 saying it's important for news to be right up to the minute. They are also interested in having a say in what they see. More than 60% would like to interact with their news – defined as pushing a button to get more information on the news story.
So according to the survey, Americans want a new media, but is it possible? They want a TV newscast in which they can tell the anchor what to report, and a print newspaper that somehow updates itself in their hands. And they don't want to pay any more than they already have to.

More from CBS News