Increase in blacks buying newspapers twice rate of whites p. 29

By: Mark Fitzgerald BLACK CONSUMERS ARE increasing their purchases of newspapers at more than double the rate of whites, a major new survey of African-American buying patterns concludes.
In dollars spent on newspapers, African-American households spend considerably less than white households, but black spending is growing faster, the study found.
From 1988 to 1991, annual black household spending on newspapers increased from $24.40 to $35.38 ? a jump of 18%.
During the same period, white household newspaper spending grew from $67.98 to $73.28 ? just 7%.
In 1991, blacks spent slightly less than a half-billion dollars ? $486 million ? on newspapers, according to "The Buying Power of Black America."
"Those are certainly interesting numbers, especially in light of all the moves to diversity at newspapers," said Ken Smikle, publisher of Target Market News, a monthly newsletter that reports on African-American consumer marketing and media.
Target Market News released its massive annual report detailing Afri-can-American spending on more than 400 products and services.
Blacks are big print media consumers, the study says.
For instance, African-Americans spent more on books ? $178 million ? in 1991 than they did on electronic video games.
Black magazine purchasing amounts to $177 million and is climbing at a far faster rate than white magazine purchasing, Smikle said.
Annual black household magazine spending rose from $12.95 in 1988 to $15.95 in 1991, an increase of 23%.
In contrast, white household spending remained flat, increasing just a penny, to $40.52, in the same three years.
The Target Market News study is based on interviews with more than 2,800 black households. It estimates total black purchasing power at $282 billion annually.
According to the study, African-Americans spent the following a-mounts in these major consumer categories:
? Alcoholic beverages: $1.7 billion.
? Non-alcoholic beverages: $2.2 billion.
? New cars and trucks: $5.2 billion.
? Consumer electronics: $2.5 billion.
? Entertainment: $1.2 billion.
? Housewares: $216 million.
? Personal-care products and services: $3.9 billion.
? Tobacco products: $2.5 billion.
? Travel and lodging: $3.3 billion.
Copies of the report, which sells for $60, are available from Target Market News, 228 S. Wabash Ave., Suite 408, Chicago, Ill., 60604.