Narrative

Internet

Readership (1. Aug – 31. Aug, 2009):
1. Azet.sk 1 626 038 RU292 224
2. Zoznam.sk 1 446 637 RU104 666
3. Atlas.sk 1 156 653 RU122 036
4. Sme.sk 1 107 890 RU257 506
5. Topky.sk 846 654 RU54 671
6. Centrum.sk 723 661 RU64 735
7. Aktuality.sk 721 286 RU160 227
8. Pravda.sk 537 851 RU92 671
9. Cas.sk 482 861 RU161 865
10. Markiza.sk 446 928 RU15 510
11. Profesia.sk 440 921 RU65 717
12. Joj.sk 397 469 RU92 776
13. Autobazar.eu 395 057 RU92 363
14. eStranky.sk 375 868 N/A
15. Najnakup.sk 361 052 N/A

The second number following RU indicates the rise in readership from the preceding month. The list from which this information was taken included 100 sites and the top fifty showed significant readership and monthly gains. This stands in sharp contrast to consistent decline in print dailies, weeklies, and monthlies over the past several years. As is obvious, particularly during the summer when it is possible to sit outside and surf the net for free, young Slovaks are increasingly turning to the internet for news and entertainment. Internet cafes are popular, but home internet connections have risen to near standard European levels and it is not uncommon to see people using laptops or, to a lesser degree as yet, hand-held mobile devices to connect to the web. It is also interesting to note that when I asked Slovaks what they read the first answer very rarely included the internet. However, when asked specifically about the web, the answer is nearly always that the internet provides a daily source of reading material and in some ways has taken the place of print sources. It is hard to see print or the print industry disappearing altogether, but certainly significant changes are under way. Maxim E. Matkin’s online-generated best-selling fiction, the rise of the online seller Martinus to top-three status, the plethora of internet seller sites and literature-oriented chat forums through Facebook or otherwise, the use of online means to promote and interact with fans by authors such as Michal Hvorecky, and the initiative taken by large brick and mortar shops such as Panta Rhei to heighten their own online presence all point to the increasing significance of the internet, not only in terms of reading material and habits, but as regards the way in which the book industry functions.