By Richard Morgan, Technology,

A recent report by YouGov has discovered a dramatic change in the way we are accessing news since the recession began. In the past year, newspaper and magazine purchases have declined 28 per cent, while the number of people accessing online news content has flourished.

Yet despite this upward trend, the study found that many of us are still reluctant to pay for online news. A pitiful 1.5 per cent said they had paid for online newspapers or magazine content, and there was little appetite for subscription services in the near future. Only 11 per cent said they might consider paying a subscription for online content.

The so-called internet generation has grown up believing that it can assess everything online for free. Recent research by the Internet Advertising Bureau has found that 85 per cent of online consumers would rather get free content, supported by advertising, than pay a fee. If more sites want to go down the paid subscription route they are likely to need to provide their users with something new and original.

The future of online news may not just be about charging for what used to be free, but charging for newer types of publishing platforms and content that customers can’t get somewhere else. Simply repackaging the old, free content as premium is unlikely to fit the bill.