Digital access continues to drive newspaper readership, research shows

There are many ways to read newspapers in today’s digital age. The 2024 Newspapers 24/7 research confirms that over the course of a week, four out of five people (81%) in Canada are reached by newspapers in traditional or online formats.

Digital access has resulted in a variety of ways to access newspaper content.

Almost half (46%) of people in Canada are now reading newspapers in traditional formats: either in print or an e-edition (a digital version of the printed format). E-editions grew in popularity during the pandemic, and currently, many print newspaper subscriptions include access to digital e-editions. For advertisers, the bonus is digital exposure for print ads. Print ads appear in the e-edition the same way as in the printed newspaper but can offer digital benefits like hyperlinks.

Six out of ten people (59%) are online format readers, accessing newspaper content/articles on websites or in newspaper apps. This is the content surrounded by digital ad formats like leaderboards, big boxes, tall blocks, etc.

Newspaper readership is truly multi-platform, with almost a quarter (22%) of dedicated Canadians choosing to read in all measured digital and print formats. Multi-platform access to news demonstrates that readers regularly interact with their newspapers in traditional and online formats.