by Jaime MorfínWhy Internet? Although reasons vary, there are three predominant ideas: experimentation, technological innovation and approaching new audiences. The Latin-American press has launched itself into experimenting with the new means, convinced that, as Luis Moreiro, editor of the newspaper La Razon de Buenos Aires says: "(perhaps in ten years, the existence of Internet will bring about a new view of traditional press."
Where in the world are foreign users located? 75% in the United States and Canada, 15% in Europe, and 10% in Latin-America. This numbers respond to the great amount of people abroad that maintain contact with their home countries through the on-line press.
The principal obstacle that Latin-American press WEB pages must face is probably their financial viability. The principal source of financing depends on the publicity they can attract which, at the same time, depends on a large number of viewers or visitors. It is certain that, as the WEB sites acquire a greater number of local viewers, so do the possibilities of obtaining the necessary volume for publicity grow, as an option to financing. In this sense, the growing number of local readers reported in our poll can even increase the optimism of the editors.
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