People are now reading less in China. The news came at the first
China Publishing Industry Development Strategy High-level Forum
held in Beijing on August 17.
Yu Min, vice director of the China Publishing Science Research
Institute announced the results of the institute's latest research.
This showed that in 2003, the reading ratio for books stood at just
51.7 percent, 8.7 percentage points lower than in 1998. Meanwhile
the ratio for magazines was 46.4 percent, an even greater drop on
the 57.0 percent recorded in 1998.
"The new faster pace of life is the main reason for the
continuing decline in books and magazines," said Yu Min. "Opting
out on reading is now less closely related to the level of
educational attainment than previously. People are just too busy
with their work or in studying to find time for reading. Another
reason for the decline in popularity of books and magazines is the
greater variety in the types of media now readily available due to
the rapid pace of economic reform. This has diluted the market for
traditional print media.”
Meanwhile, the research also indicated increased interest in
reading material that offers practical benefits in the struggle for
survival in an increasingly competitive society. What's more,
although those surveyed still placed Books that increase
knowledge and broaden outlook as their first choice, the
category is continuing to lose support year on year. People are
also becoming more inclined to turn to titles matching their
personal interests or in the fields of recreation and
entertainment.
(China.org.cn by Wang Qian, August 23, 2004)