Gratification niches of monthly print magazines and the World Wide Web

Through the framework of niche theory, this study compared the gratification niches of traditional print magazines and the World Wide Web through a random mail and convenience email sample—two sub-samples of a population of subscribers to a special-interest print magazine. Three hundred and seventy-one users of both mediums responded to the survey. Relative to the Web, the presence of newer magazine gratification dimensions was identified as well as traditional dimensions supported. These included surveillance, diversion, career information, gratification opportunities, communication management and others. The relative array of gratifications offered (niche width), perceived similarities (niche overlap) and superiority of each medium were measured in total and for the individual gratification dimensions.;For these users, the Web offers a wider array of gratifications than magazines, and delivers them in a superior fashion. As Web use increases, these perceptions increase as well. The greatest differences between magazines and the Web in gratifications offered and superiority tend to be in the cognitive, information-gathering and communication management functions. Meanwhile, the least differences appear in the more affective and diversionary functions.;The Web and magazines are perceived to be least similar in the information-gathering and communication management functions. They are perceived to be most similar in the affective, or diversionary functions. Decreasing magazine users place more emphasis on the superiority of the Web's information-gathering and communication management characteristics. Increasing and static magazine users seem to place more emphasis on the affective functions of magazines.;Supporting the notion of a catalyst effect, increasing magazine readers use the Internet at the same rate as decreasing magazine users, both at a higher rate than static magazine users. Increasing and decreasing magazine use is not driven by age, or by how long one has been using the Internet. A key variable that seems to be driving increasing or decreasing magazine is whether individuals prefer to engage in these more affective functions in a tactile or electronic environment.;Based on these findings, a number of managerial recommendations are offered to help print magazine publishers create a successful Web publishing model, incorporating both free and paid content.