MANILA, Philippines ? Doomsayers better think twice before predicting the death of the newspaper industry.

Newspapers are alive and kicking and continue to be the preferred advertising source of consumers, particularly those in the higher income strata, global market research firm Synovate says.

?We have to once and for all debunk the myth that newspapers are dying. They are not,? Steve Garton, global executive director for media at Synovate, said at a press conference yesterday.

?People with money are still choosing newspapers because these allow them to absorb and focus. Newspapers are a ?lean forward? medium, unlike TV and online which are ?lean back? media. Newspapers are alive and well, and continue to offer great opportunities to advertisers.?

According to the fourth annual Synovate Media Atlas, newspapers continue to be the ?stickiest? advertising medium, considering the rise in newspaper readership among individuals with purchasing power and the way consumers perceive ads on print as opposed to those on other media.

?Flight to quality?

The survey, which involved more than 8,000 respondents from all over the country, showed that 56 percent of Filipinos still preferred to look through ads in newspapers and magazines.

Individuals from the A and B income brackets, or those with the most purchasing power, were also reading newspapers more. Survey data revealed that from 56 percent in the 2007-2008 survey period, 64 percent of A and B consumers were now reading newspapers.

?Many marketers are talking about a flight to quality, and newspapers are showing their increased importance as a good medium to reach those who have money to spend,? Garton said.

Front, entertainment, sports

Among the types of newspapers included in the survey, the daily and the Sunday papers captured the highest readership figures, at 25 percent of respondents for both types of papers during the most recent wave of data collection covering the 2008-2009 survey period.

Newspapers, in general, registered a reach of 34 percent, while magazines posted a reach of 32 percent.

The most read sections in the newspaper are the front page, entertainment and sports, the survey showed.

Ads don?t disappear

In terms of newspaper sources, most newspaper readers buy their own, borrow another person?s copy, rely on household subscription, and read the newspapers that their offices provide.

?Newspapers have always been important,? Garton said. ?In fact, newspapers are the first on-demand media?you can have them when you want them. The advertisements there don?t disappear. Newspapers also reach the hard-to-reach upscale audience.?

?There?s a dramatic rise in the upper socio groups that are reading newspapers. They?re all after quality. I haven?t seen such a strong shift to newspapers in Asia such as this,? Garton added.

Best way to relax

Apart from newspapers and magazines, another traditional advertising medium, television, also remained high up in the consumer consciousness index, making it another sticky advertising medium.

The survey showed that terrestrial, or non-cable, TV viewership was now nearing saturation levels, with 98 percent of respondents saying they preferred to relax in front of their TV sets, watching free TV channels.

The level of pay-TV viewership has likewise increased, with 55 percent of respondents saying they have cable TV, as compared with 51 percent in the 2007-2008 survey period.

?TV is still an important part of the advertising industry. People are paying more for cable TV,? Garton said.

Challenge for online

Nontraditional media, such as online and mobile, were likewise starting to gain ground in terms of reach, he said. However, these still had a long way to go before reaching the status that traditional advertising media such as newspapers, magazines and TV had achieved in terms of reach.

?Online is still a small fraction of the advertising budget. Those who neglect mainstream media will lose share and even go out of business. Mainstream media works,? Garton said.

?The challenge for online is to remain relevant. The challenge for all types of media, actually, is to remain relevant enough to gain consumers? attention. Mainstream media has done that.?