This exploratory study examines the predictive power of lifestyle orientations, reliance on traditional news media, attributes of online news, traditional mass media use and demographics on online news adoption. Data was gathered from 453 internet users. The study found that experiencers, a lifestyle savouring the new, read more online international/China news. In contrast, survivors, who live narrowly focused lives, seldom do. Although lifestyles were not predictive as to whether internet users would adopt online news, they were the strongest predictors for the enjoyment of interactive capability of online news for adopters. Specifically, interactivity can satisfy the need for seeking fun among strivers, a desire for self-expression among makers and aspiration for new ideas on the part of innovators. Furthermore, as practical people, makers enjoy multimedia features for their functional purpose. In conclusion, some of the implications for news publishers in offering personalized editions of online news are discussed.
Althaus, S.L. and D. Tewksbury (2000) ‘Patterns of Internet and Traditional News Media Use in a Networked Community’ , Political Communication17(1): 21-45 .
2.
Atkin, D.J. (1993) ‘Adoption of Cable Amidst a Multi-Media Environment’ , Telematics and Informatics10(1): 51-58 .
3.
Baldwin, T.F. and M. Barret (1992) ‘Uses and Values for News on Cable Television’ , Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media36(2): 225-234 .
4.
Becker, B.W. and P.E. Connor (1981) ‘Personal Values of the Heavy User of Mass Media’ , Journal of Advertising Research21(5): 37-43 .
5.
Becker, L.B. and D.C. Whitney (1980) ‘Effects of Media Dependencies: Audience Assessment of Government’ , Communication Research7(5): 95-120 .
6.
Bellenger, D.N. and H. Valencia (1982) ‘Understanding the Hispanic Market’ , Business Horizon25(3): 47-50 .
7.
Bellman, S. , G.L. Lohse and E.J. Johnson (1999) ‘Predictors of Online Buying Behaviors’ , Communications of the ACM42(12): 32-38 .
8.
Bromley, R.V. and D. Bowles (1995) ‘Impact of the Internet on Use of Traditional News Media’ , Newspaper Research Journal16(2): 14-27 .
9.
Carmen, J.M. (1978) ‘Values and Consumption Patterns: a Closed Loop’, in H.K. Hunt (ed.) Advances in Consumer Research, Vol. 5., pp. 403-407. Ann Arbor, MI: Association for Consumer Research .
10.
Chyi, H.I. and D. Lasorsa (1999) ‘Access, Use and Preferences for Online Newspapers’ , Newspaper Research Journal29(4): 2-13 .
11.
Commerce, Industry and Technology Bureau (2003) ‘Fact Sheets: Information Technology’, Communication Technology Branch, Commerce, Industry and Technology Bureau, Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region , URL (consulted February 2004): http://www.info.gov.hk/citb/ctb/english/fact/index_n.htm
12.
Culbertson, H. and G. Stempel (1986) ‘How Media Use and Reliance Affect Knowledge Level’ , Communication Research13(4): 579-602 .
13.
Davis, J. (2000) ‘Substance: Trumps Style’ , Mediaweek10(21): 58-62 .
14.
DeFleur, M.L. and S. Ball-Rokeach (1989) Theories of Mass Communication. New York: Longman .
15.
Donohew, L. , P. Palmgreen and J.D. Rayburn, II (1987) ‘Social and Psychological Origins of Media Use: a Lifestyle Analysis’ , Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media31(3): 255-278 .
16.
Dutta-Bergman, M.J. (2002) ‘Beyond Demographic Variables: Using Psychographic Research to Narrate the Story of Internet Users’ , Smile2(3). URL (accessed 4 February 2005): www.utpress.utoronto.ca/journal/ejournals/simile
17.
Eastman, S.T. (1979) ‘Uses of Television Viewing and Consumer Lifestyles: a Multivariate Analysis’ , Journal of Broadcasting23(4): 491-500 .
18.
Faber, R.J. , S.D. Reese and H.L. Steves (1985) ‘Spending Time with the News Media: the Relationship Between Reliance and Use’ , Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media29(4): 445-450 .
19.
Fassett, A.M. (1995) ‘Surveys Explore Attitudes and Lifestyles of Internet Users’ , Telecommunications29(9): 6-10 .
20.
Flynn, R.J. and Tetzlaff, W.H. (1998) ‘MultiMedia - An Introduction’ , IBM Journal of Research and Development42(2): 165-176 .
21.
Gaziano, C. (1988) ‘Media Dependence for News: Some Neglected Groups’ , paper presented at the Midwest Association for Public Opinion Research Convention, Chicago, IL, November.
22.
Grunett, K.G. , K. Burns and S. Bisp (1997) ‘Food-related Lifestyle: Development of a Cross-culturally Valid Instrument for Market Surveillance’, in L. Kahle and L. Chiagouris (eds) Values, Lifestyles and Psychographics, pp. 337-354. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum .
23.
Heath, R.P. (1996) ‘The Frontiers of Psychographics’ , American Demographics18(7): 38-44 .
24.
Hoffman, D.L. , W.D. Kolsbeek and T.P. Novak (1996) ‘Internet and Web Use in the US’ , Communications of the ACM39(12): 36-46 .
25.
Hoogeveen, M. (1997) ‘Towards a Theory of the Effectiveness of Multimedia Systems’ , International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction9(2): 151-168 .
26.
James, M.L. , C.E. Wotring and E.J. Forrest (1995) ‘An Exploratory Study of the Perceived Benefits of Electronic Bulletin Board Use and Their Impact on other Communication Activities’ , Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media39(1): 30-50 .
27.
Jeffres, L.W. and D. Atkin (1996) ‘Predicting Use of Technologies for Communication and Consumer Needs’ , Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media40(3): 318-330 .
28.
Johnson, M. (2001) ‘How Do We Read Online?’ , Quill89(1): 10-13 .
29.
Johnson, T.J. and B.K. Kaye (2000) ‘Using Is Believing: the Influence of Reliance on the Credibility of Online Political Information Among Politically Interested Internet Users’ , Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly77(4): 865-879 .
30.
Kahle, L.R. (1985) ‘Social Values in the Eighties: Special Issue’ , Psychology and Marketing2(4): 231-237 .
31.
Kamakura, W.A. and Mazzon, J.A. (1991) ‘Value Segmentation: a Model for the Measurement of Values and Value Systems’ , Journal of Consumer Research September18(Sept.): 208-218 .
32.
Karp, J. (1994) ‘Don’t Adjust Your Set: Hong Kong Stumbles in Bid to Become Broadcast Hub’ , Far Eastern Economic Review, 28 April, p. 80 .
33.
Kayany, J.M. and P. Yelsma (2000) ‘Displacement Effects of Online Media in the Socio-technical Contexts of Households’ , Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media44(2): 215-229 .
34.
King, E. (1998) ‘Redefining Relationships: Interactivity Between News Producers and Consumers’ , Convergence4(4): 26-32 .
35.
Krugman, D. (1985) ‘Evaluating the Audiences of the New Media’ , Journal of Advertising14(4): 21-27 .
36.
Lee, Y.L. and C.Y.K. So (2000) ‘The Societal Function and Impact of e-paper in the Information Age’ , 21st Century Bi-monthly57(2): 126-134 .
37.
Leung, L. (1998) ‘Lifestyles and the Use of new Media Technology in Urban China’ , Telecommunications Policy22(9): 781-790 .
38.
Leung, L. (2003) ‘Impacts of Net-Generation Attributes, Seductive Properties of the Internet and Gratifications Obtained on Internet Use’ , Telematics and Informatics20(2): 107-129 .
39.
Levy, S.J. (1963) ‘Symbolism and Lifestyle’, in S.A. Greyser (ed.) Toward Scientific Marketing, pp. 140-150. Chicago, IL: American Marketing Association .
40.
Li, H. , K. Cheng and G.R. Martha (1999) ‘The Impact of Perceived Channel Utilities, Shopping Orientations and Demographics on the Consumer’s Online Buying Behavior’ , Journal of Computer Mediated Communication5(2). URL (consulted 4 February 2005): www.asusc.org/jcmc/vol5/issue2/hairong.html
41.
Lin, C.A. (2002) ‘Perceived Gratifications of Online Media Service Use Among Potential Users’ , Telematics and Informatics19(1): 3-19 .
42.
McCracken, G. (1988) Culture and Consumption: New Approaches to the Symbolic Character of Consumer Goods and Activities. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press .
43.
McQuarrie, E.F. and D. Langmeyer (1985) ‘Using Values to Measure Attitudes Toward Discontinuous Innovations’ , Psychology and Marketing2(4): 239-252 .
44.
Miyo, Y. (1983) ‘The Knowledge-Gap Hypothesis and Media Dependency’, in R. Bostrom (ed.) Communication Yearbook, Vol. 7, pp. 626-650. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage .
45.
Neuman, W.R. , M. Just and A. Crigler (1992) Common Knowledge: News and the Construction of Social Meaning. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press .
46.
Peng, F.Y. , N.I. Tham and X. Hao (1999) ‘Trends on Online Newspapers: a Look at the US Web’ , Newspaper Research Journal20(2): 52-63 .
47.
Pitts, R.R., Jr. and A.G. Woodside (eds) (1984) Personal Values and Consumer Psychology. Lexington, MA: Lexington Books .
48.
Price, V. and J. Zaller (1993) ‘Who Gets the News? Alternative Measures of News Reception and Their Implications for Research’ , Public Opinion Quarterly57(2): 133-164 .
49.
Riche, M.F. (1989) ‘Psychographics for the 1990s’ , American Demographics11(7): 24-31 .
50.
Rogers, E.M. (1995) Diffusion of Innovations. New York: Free Press .
51.
Rosengren, E.K. and S. Windahl (1989) Media Matter: TV Use in Childhood and Adolescence. Norwood, NJ: Ablex .
52.
Shih, D. (1986) ‘VALS as a Tool of Tourism Market Research: The Pennsylvania Experience’ , Journal of Travel Research24(4): 2 .
53.
Sparkes, V. and N. Kang (1986) ‘Public Reactions to Cable Television: Time in the Diffusion Process’ , Journal of Broadcasting30(2): 213-229 .
54.
SRI Consulting Business Intelligence (2003) ‘Values and Lifestyles Psychographic Segmentation’, URL (consulted September 2003): http://www.sric-bi.com/vals
55.
Stempel, G.H. , T. Hargrove and J.P. Bernt (2000) ‘Relation of Growth of Use of the Internet to Changes in Media Use from 1995 to 1999’ , Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly77(1): 71-79 .
56.
Tewksbury, D. (2003) ‘What Do Americans Really Want to Know? Tracking the Behavior of Newsreaders on the Internet’ , Journal of Communication53(4): 694-710 .
57.
Tigert, D.J. (1974) Lifestyle as a Basis for Media Selection. Lifestyle and Psychographics. Chicago, IL: American Marketing association .
58.
Townsend, B. (1987) ‘Market Segmentation: Using Demographics, Psychographics and Other Segmentation Techniques to Uncover and Exploit new Markets’ , American Demographics9(6): 10-11 .
59.
Walling, V.C., Jr. (1985) ‘Incorporating Values and Lifestyles into the Theory of Consumer Innovativeness’, PhD thesis, Stanford University, California.
60.
Wells, W.D. (1975) ‘Psychographics: a Critical Review’ , Journal of Marketing Research12(2): 196-213 .
61.
Wells, W.D. and S.C. Cosmas (1977) ‘Life Styles’, in R. Ferber (ed.) Synthesis of Consumer Knowledge, pp. 299-316. Washington, DC: National Science Foundation .
62.
Yew, S. (1997) ‘Lifestyle of Internet Users in Hong Kong’, MBA thesis, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
63.
Zhu, J.H. and He, Z. (2002) ‘Information Accessibility, User Sophistication and Source Credibility: the Impact of the Internet on Value Orientations in Mainland China’ , Journal of Computer Mediated Communication7(2). URL (accessed 4 February 2005): www.ascusc.org/jcmc/vol7/issue2/china.html
64.
Ziff, R. (1971) ‘Psychographics for Market Segmentation’ , Journal of Advertising Research11(2): 3-10 .
