Will the iPad really save newspapers?

A new study from the Donald W Reynolds Journalism Institute at the University of Missouri has found that increased iPad use is killing newspaper subscriptions.

The study found that 84.4% of the 1,600 respondents said they use the iPad to follow breaking news and current events, with 78% doing so for 30 minutes a day.

A further 89.2% said they use a PC to read during the day, and of the 75% who use iPhones, 70% said they use it to read news. But 58.1% said those who subscribe to newspapers are likely to cancel those subscriptions in the next six months.

“These findings are encouraging for newspaper publishers who plan to begin charging for subscriptions on their iPad app editions early next year,” Institute program director Roger Fidler said in a statement, “but our survey also found a potential downside: iPad news apps may diminish newspaper print subscriptions in 2011.”