A survey by bean counters at Pew claim that the Internet is revolutionizing news consumption, with more than seven in 10 telling Pew Research Centre that they are better informed than they were five years ago because of the news websites they visit daily.

In Pew’s latest survey of Internet use, 75 percent said they are “better informed” about national news, and a near equal 74 percent on international news.

More than 72 percent said that having so much information at their fingertips was a good thing and didn’t make them feel overloaded.

This backs an earlier Pew report that found many Americans shifting from print and TV to Internet based news outlets. The new survey shows that Americans are benefiting from the shift.

More than 87 percent said that the Internet and mobile phones “have improved their ability to learn new things, including 53 percent who say it has improved this ‘a lot,’ ” said Pew.

Of course this does not explain why news sites are losing cash and closing.