Newspaper task force examines cross-media audience measurement

Cross-media audience measurement is a better indicator of newspaper reach than just print circulation, according to a gathering of media measurement organisations from around the world.

At a meeting in New York of the Media Measurement Integration Task Force participants acknowledged that advertisers and agencies continue to rely on print circulation as a measure of a newspaper’s audience, without combining it with the audiences that titles reach on their digital platforms.

The task force, an initiative of the Paris-based World Association of Newspapers, comprises the UK and US Audit Bureau of Circulations, ComScore, the Interactive Advertising Bureau, the Newspaper Association of America, Nielsen Online, IPSOS, PriceWaterhouse Coopers, The Newspaper Society and several others.

“The story we’re trying to tell is that the business model, which is changing at a time when the economy is weak, is also a time when the audience is very strong,” said one task force participant.

While there is broad consensus that integrated media measurements are needed, the methods used to obtain such measures vary due to a number of factors.

At its New York meeting last month, the Task Force agreed to publish a book of essays by members that will describe the various approaches, to help publishers, advertisers, agencies, and publishing associations better understand the issues.

The book, to be published later this month, will address why media measurement integration is necessary, the methodologies and strategies used by the organisations and case studies on how integration is being used.

Media Measurement Integration Task Force: www.wan-press.org/MMITF