Nielsen//NetRatings has reported an 11-percent increase in readership for American online newspapers. The number has reached to 39.3 million readers who make up to 26 percent of the total active American internet population.

Nielsen's research found about 22 percent of the surveyed readers have shifted their reading preference from print to websites, while a majority (71 percent) still read print newspapers. NYTimes.com has become the top online newspaper in the nation, with 11.4 million visitors counted in October. USATODAYcom, with 10.4 million visitors, took the second place, and WashingtonPost.com with 8.1 million took the third. Among online news readers, more men read than women, and high-income and well-educated people are more likely to read news online than others.

"The growth among newspaper websites demonstrates that these entities offer unique incentives to visitors," says Gerry Davison, senior media analyst, Nielsen//NetRatings. "Most, if not all, of the top newspaper sites offer interactivity such a blogs, podcasts and streaming video/audio. These interactive features, combined with internet users' thirst for up-to-date information, make newspaper websites an increasingly appealing choice for news."

Night Ridder, the country's second-largest newspaper publisher, recently announced it would consider selling the company or take other steps in order to boost shareholder value. Night Ridder's major shareholders, including Private Capital Management LP and Southeastern Asset Management Inc., have required the company to take active steps to address their concerns over the declining readership and advertising profit.