The lower the income of an American, the more online news it consumes.

At the University of Texas School of Journalism, Professor Iris Chyi has conducted research on the economics of media since the late 1990s, in particular the problem of “paid vs. free” and “printed vs. online.” Here are some results and conclusions:

1. Despite the growth, online media consumption pursues other values ​​than traditional media consumption. In other words, even consuming a lot of news from the Internet, people still prefer traditional media.
2. Internet news refers to the lowest good, that is, if consumer incomes grow, it consumes less online news. (All other things being equal economically significant conditions).

In 2004, Iris Chyi conducted another study in the United States in collaboration with Mengchieh Jacie Yang . Here are some conclusions:

1. As income grows, consumption of online news falls. When revenues fall, online news consumption rises.
2. Unlike online media, print media does not belong to inferior goods . They are considered normal goods, that is, those for which as income increases, increases in the same proportion as income, and decreases as income decreases.

The results of these studies surprised the academic world by the fact that, so far, no media product was among the lowest goods. This is partly why American companies have so actively invested in this industry. So, in vain?