By: Jennifer Saba Print circulation is plunging but there is a hopeful trend emerging with online readership. Overall, the increase in the online newspaper audience is making up 28% of the losses in print readership, according to a new analysis from Scarborough Research.
The firm studied local newspaper Web site users of 88 newspapers in the top 50 markets from August 2004 through March 2007. Scarborough found that online newspaper readership grew 14% over that period and that 70% of all newspaper web site visitors also read the print version.
"The good news is at least there is growth," explains Gary Meo, senior vice president of print and digital services at Scarborough. "And that is not happening on the print side.
"The key is that Web site audience is slowing the erosion," Meo ads.
Online newspapers are reaching more adults in the 18-34-age bracket: Exclusive Web site readership, that is a person reads only the newspapers Web site, increased 21% from August 2004 to March 2007.
For this research, Scarborough also interviewed several newspaper executives about their online properties.
The papers that experienced growth with its integrated newspaper audience (those who read print and online) -- newspapers like the Albuquerque Journal & Tribune, the Chicago Tribune, the Buffalo News, and the Greensboro News & Record -- pointed to three components of success. Those key elements include "relentless promotion," functionalities like photo sharing, and no surprise, the focus on local content.
These papers are doing "a lot to promote their Web sites," Meo said. "And guess what? It's working."
Scarborough executives will participate in a panel where more of this data will be discussed during the Newspaper Association of America's Marketing Conference next week.
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