People who read online newspapers tend to be internet “power users”, those who spend greater than average time and money online than general net users, according to a new report from the Newspaper Association of America (NAA).
Newspaper websites also were rated the primary source of local news and information online, ahead of other local media sites and national brands providing local services. In addition, the survey found that the longer someone has been an net user, the more likely he or she is to turn to online newspapers for news and information.
“Rather than becoming the replacement for its print version, as so many predicted it would be, the internet has afforded newspapers a unique opportunity to leverage the news and information Â- and the interested audience Â- into a new medium,” said NAA president and CEO John Sturm. “Like their print counterparts, online newspapers deliver the content their readers want, and by extension, the quality audience that advertisers seek”.
Other findings from the survey include:
- 64% of online newspaper users have been plugged in for more than four years, compared to 41% of general internet users. Online newspaper users also are more likely to have high-speed connections at home (37% v 25%) and at work (49% v 17%).
- Printed local newspapers are the leading source of local advertising for both general internet users (48%) and online newspaper readers (28%). Online newspaper readers report that after the print edition, the newspaper’s website is their choice for local advertising information, beating television, radio, shoppers and give-aways, and the Yellow Pages.
- Online newspaper users are more affluent and tend to be better educated than general internet users, making them an attractive demographic for advertisers. About 25% of online newspaper users report incomes over $100,000, compared to 17% of all online users; 51% of online newspaper users are college graduates, compared to 42% of general users.
- Newspaper online users are more avid online shoppers, and tend to spend more than general internet users. Nearly eight in 10 online newspaper readers purchased merchandise online in the past six months, compared to about half of general users. Online newspaper users also reported spending more money online, with about half spending more than $500 in the past six months.
- Print-newspaper readership among internet users mirrors that of the general population. Some 75% of all online users said they’d read a weekday print newspaper in the past week, compared to 74.5% of adults in the top 50 US markets, according to NAA’s Spring 2002 Competitive Media Index.
- Online newspaper users are considerably more likely than general internet users to turn to the internet every day for national and world news (61% v 21%), local news (54% v 13%), and sports scores and information (24% v 9%).
