News Media Canada has measured newspaper readership across different platforms (print, computer, tablet, phone) and by time of day since 2012. New research was conducted in October/November 2023 and confirms the continued strength of newspaper readership in traditional and online formats.Four out of five people in Canada (81%) read newspaper content each week and trust the content they read, regardless of format. Digital access has driven readership and provided new ways to access news. The study has evolved to examine readership by format through an advertising lens.
The 2024 study examines different formats of advertising that readers are exposed to in newspapers.
Traditional format advertising includes print ads in the physical newspaper and the digital versions of those ads found in e-editions (pdf replicas of the printed newspaper).
Online format advertising includes ad units (eg. leaderboard, big box, tall block, etc.) posted along with digital content and articles on newspaper websites/apps.
Newspapers are an effective advertising medium, no matter who you’re trying to reach. You want to reach those younger generations? They’re reading newspapers. You want to reach the older generations? They’ve always read newspapers. Newspapers deserve a position in the media mix.
Download Study Material
Click images below to download study material.
Newspapers 24/7: 2024 Presentation (PDF)
Members can email Kelly to request a PPT version with speaker notes. Champions font must be installed for PPT to display properly. Click here to download font.
Newspapers 24/7: 2024 Fact Sheet #1 (PDF)
Newspapers 24/7: 2024 Fact Sheet #2 (PDF)
Study Highlights
Readership remains stable in the digital age.
Four out of five people in Canada (81%) read newspapers, regardless of format, at least once a week—essentially unchanged from the inaugural study (85%), conducted in 2012. Despite a multitude of media options and digital distractions, readers still turn to trusted news sources.
Format Matters: Traditional vs. Online
Digital access has truly driven readership resulting in a variety of ways to access newspaper content.
Almost half (46%) of the population reads newspapers in traditional formats: either in print or an e-edition (a digital version of the printed format). The good news for print advertisers is that a print ad can provide additional digital exposure in e-editions.
Six out of ten (59%) adults access newspapers in an online format now – reading articles/content posted on newspaper websites or apps.
Newspaper readership is truly multi-platform with almost a quarter (22%) of dedicated Canadians choosing to read in ALL traditional and online formats. Multiplatform access to news demonstrates that readers are regularly interacting with their newspaper across formats.
Different generations access newspapers in new ways.
Younger generations are powering a shift in consumption habits, through alternate ways of accessing news content like e-editions, news podcasts or smart speakers.
Gen Y (Millennials) and Gen Z are strong readers, driven by their readership of online formats, although they continue to be reached by newspaper ads in traditional formats.
Total weekly readership (across all formats) by Gen Y is 83% and is slightly higher for Gen Z at 84%.
What about trust?
Trust continues to be an important topic. The 2024 Newspapers 24/7 study finds that trust in newspapers has remained strong, despite the global downturn in trust across many sectors.
Looking at editorial content in print newspapers, 62% of Canadians say the medium is completely/somewhat trustworthy. And 59% trust news media websites, which is well ahead of television, radio, magazines, social and search in terms of consumer confidence.
Trust in editorial content extends to advertising, creating a “safe” space for readers and advertisers. Print and digital news media advertising outrank the competition. Half (49%) of Canadians trust printed newspaper ads and 44% trust ads on news media websites.
Given heightened levels of global mistrust, we’re seeing a clear and continued affinity for the reliable reporting that newspapers provide. Newspapers continue to be the go-to source for credible, trusted, and independent news in both print and digital formats.
– Paul Deegan, President and CEO, News Media Canada
Promotional Material
Newspapers 24/7:2024 Industry Ad Campaign
Promote the Newspapers 24/7 2024 study results with the “On the same page” ad campaign.
Click here to visit the Industry Ad Campaign page to access/download ad creative in a variety of formats for print, digital and social.
This campaign is available to members (at no charge) to celebrate the enduring strength of newspapers.
Newspapers 24/7: 2024 Social Snapshots
Promote the Newspapers 24/7 data with 12 images sized for social media.
Click here to download the zip file with 12 images and suggested post copy and hashtags.
Don’t forget to tag @NewsMediaCanada.
About the Study
This is the eleventh Newspapers 24/7 study released since 2012. This study was designed to explore how Canadians read daily and community newspaper content, on different platforms and at different times during the day. Since the first study there have been shifts in reading but one thing has not changed: Canadians continue to access newspaper content across all formats and platforms. In 2012, 85% of Canadians reported that they read newspapers over the course of a week and in 2024 that number is 81%.
The 2024 study was conducted in November/December 2023 across all provinces, in English and French and consists of 2,621 online interviews. This study was funded in part by the Government of Canada.
For more information, contact Kelly Levson, Director of Marketing and Research, at klevson@newsmediacanada.ca.
Results from previous studies are available by clicking the button below.