
On a warm spring day in downtown Eugene, John Faville sits outside of the Townshend’s Eugene Teahouse reading. (photo by: Michelle Miley)
BY: Katie Rosenblad
EUGENE, Ore. — Locals of downtown Eugene get their news from online sources because it is the fastest and easiest method.
The community was interviewed about their news use last Thursday. Many of them said they enjoy reading the newspaper or watching the local news television stations, however the internet is much “[more] handy and easier,” said one local, Kaia Reinke, while enjoying her lunch in Kesey Square. Online sources provide information that is continually updated and can be accessed much more conveniently for readers.
While it is becoming more common for people in today’s society to have mobile phones with access to the internet, those interviewed downtown said they prefer to use the computer because they actually find it more convenient. Internet users such as Nicole Desche, a local employee at Plume Red Heritage Goods, said she prefers the computer because when she is at work, where there is a computer right in front of her, it is much easier to do a search there than to pull out her phone and search. “I view local news stations, and then the local paper online such as the Register-Guard, The Weekly or The Emerald,” Desche said. “I’ll watch KEZI online as well.”
Many locals shared the same preference for news in Eugene. The Register-Guard and KEZI were the top two Eugene news sources to be favored for news gathering online and offline. John Faville, who was interviewed outside the Townshend’s Eugene Teahouse while reading, said his favorite way to obtain the news is probably online. However, he will also read the Register-Guard in print and watch the news on the television.
Those interviewed demonstrated their preference for online news by listing sites they prefer to frequent. While many sites were related to local news organizations, there were many others that the only way to access them is online.