The Canadian Media Research Corp. recently released the results of a survey. To the surprise of no one, a vast majority of the 1,682 respondents to this poll would rather find a different free source of news than pay for it.

Respondents were quite firm when asked if they would pay for the news they get online, and 81% reported that they would rather abandon a preferred site than pay.  Only 4% said that they would pay, with about 15% not sure. In comparison, a significantly higher percentage already pay for music (26%) and games (19%). This does not bode well for anyone planning to survive on the fees generated by a paywall.

The report goes on to note that if there were no other option, some respondents would be willing to pay, with about a third preferring to pay by subscription.

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