The value of newspapers are decling fast with consumers deserting print for online news and information.  Now it is being reported that a majority (56%) of senior newspaper executives researched during a recent survey said that they believe that the majority of news, be it print or online, will be free in the future -- up from 48% who said the same a year ago. Conducted by Zogby International for the World Editors Forum and Reuters, the survey of 704 newspaper executives worldwide also found 86% think newsrooms and digital services should become more integrated, while two in three believed that electronic media like computers and cell phones will be the most common means of news consumption within a decade.

The industry saw the erosion in newspaper reading among young audiences as its greatest overall threat.

"For these editors the future is self-evident and our survey shows that they see the writing on the newsroom wall," said pollster John Zogby.

"The evolution of the 4th Estate is no longer questions of if, when or how. Editors now know the solution: Innovate. Integrate. Or perish."