New media became an increasingly important tool during the two sessions, allowing Shanghai residents to keep abreast of the latest information from the gatherings of the National People's Congress (NPC) and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).

A survey conducted by the Media and Public Opinion Research Center at Fudan University quizzed people on how they felt about the two-week-long sessions of the country's top legislature and its premier political advisory body.

The meetings, known as the two sessions, ended on Monday.

The center polled more than 200 Shanghai-area residents with a range of educational backgrounds who were drawn from the city's 18 districts and counties. The residents were quizzed via random telephone interviews.

According to the survey, most people - more than half - stayed in touch with goings-on via the television. The next most popular medium, the Internet, was used by about 19 percent. About 7 percent relied on newspapers.

"With an increasing number of Internet users, new media, such as micro blogs and social networking websites are becoming very important means for people to get information about the two sessions," said Zhou Baohua, an assistant to the director of the research center.

Zhou told China Daily on Tuesday that traditional media, such as newspapers, are becoming less popular.

According to the survey, Shanghai residents paid close attention to this year's two sessions and public awareness of the meetings is growing.

The report said 87 percent of respondents knew about the sessions and about 36 percent of residents expressed "great interest" in the meetings.