More Americans are getting their news online than from print newspapers for the first time, yet neither media has surpassed television as the top source for national and international news, a Pew Research Center study released last week announced.

According to the study, 40 percent of respondents said they get most of their national and international news from online, compared to 35 percent who cited newspapers as their top source. Seventy percent said TV is their main source.

In September 2007, just 24 percent said they got more of their national and international news from the Internet, while 34 percent cited newspapers and 74 percent cited television, the Pew study found.

Although television is down in 2008 compared to 2007, it continues to maintain a large lead, ahead of online and newspapers. However, for young people, online and TV look to be tied as of December 2008, the Pew report stated. Fifty-nine percent of those ages 30 and under said they the Internet is their main source for national and international news, and 59 percent also cited television as a main news source.

Meanwhile, 28 percent of young people said newspapers are a main news source, up from 23 percent in September 2007, and close to 29 percent in August 2006.

Also in September 2007, 34 percent of young people said online was a main news source, just slightly up from August 2006, when 32 percent said so.

Television is the only medium to see falling numbers for young people from 2007 to 2008, as 68 percent cited TV as a main news source in 2007, compared to 62 percent in 2006, according to Pew.

Pew was able to list top television news sources, including CNN and Fox News, but did not list the types of online sites (newspaper, TV, online-only, etc.) readers are flocking to. As many other studies have mapped out newspaper Web sites' growing audiences, it could be inferred that much of online news' growth is happening on newspaper Web sites.