The Internet and cable have risen in popularity since 2006 as news sources, according to a recent Gallup poll, UPI reported. The study found that local television news remains on the top as Americans' most preferred news source - more than half (51 percent) of respondents said they watch it on a daily basis.

About four out of 10 said they both watch cable news and read newspapers for current events, according to UPI.

Online news sources have grown the most in popularity since 2002, which marks a 100 percent increase, according to Gallup, while 31 percent of respondents said they surf online for daily news.

"In already tough times for the news organisations, there are few signs that things will get easier anytime soon. Only cable and Internet news sources appear to be growing their audiences in any measurable way. At the same time, most media are holding steady or slipping only slightly, which may come as good news for some," according to the study, UPI reported.

The telephone interviews were conducted between Dec 4 to Dec 7, with 1,009 national adults aged 18 and older, and maximum margin of plus or minus 3 percentage point sampling error.