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Newspapers 24/7: 2023

News Media Canada has been measuring newspaper readership across different platforms and by time of day since 2012. The most recent research was conducted in November/December 2022 and confirms the continued strength of newspaper readership in print and digital formats.

Every week almost 30 million newspapers are delivered across the country.  Four out of five people in Canada (83%) read newspaper content each week and trust the content they read, in print and digital formats.

Newspapers in print and in digital are an effective advertising medium, no matter whom 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: 2023 Presentation (PDF)

Members can email Kelly to request a PowerPoint version with speaker notes.

Newspapers 24/7: 2023 Fact Sheet #1 (PDF)

Newspapers 24/7: 2023 Fact Sheet #2 (PDF)

Study Highlights

Readership remains strong in the digital age.

Four out of five people in Canada (83%) read newspapers, in either print or digital 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, traditional news sources.

Newspaper readership is truly multi-platform.

The 2023 report found that 97% of newspaper readers are accessing at least some of their newspaper content online (on phones, computers or tablets).  More than half of readers (58%) are still reading in print, including e-papers.  A quarter of people in Canada (24%) are reading on ALL FOUR platforms.

All platforms (print, desktop/laptop computer, phone and tablet) continue to be used across demographics to access newspaper content. Most print reading happens early in the day, while digital reading is more consistent from morning to night.

Different generations access newspapers in new ways.

Younger generations are powering a shift in consumption habits, whether it is through print/e-papers, podcasts or smart speakers.

Gen Y (Millennials) and Gen Z are prime drivers of readership, with 89% of Millennials consuming newspaper content weekly across all platforms, led by mobile phone access. Gen Z, digital natives report 87% readership, with phone access slightly higher than Millennials.  And when it comes to printed newspapers, Gen Z now equals the Boomer cohort for weekly readership.

The good news for print advertisers is that a print ad can now do double duty, providing additional digital exposure in e-papers (where available) at no extra cost.

What about trust?

Trust continues to be an important topic.  The 2023 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, 54% of Canadians say the medium is completely/somewhat trustworthy.  And 52% trust news media websites, which is well ahead of television, radio, magazines, social and search in terms of consumer confidence.

Print and digital news media advertising also outranked the competition in terms of trust in advertising.  No matter how you look at it, newspapers remain a safe space for readers.

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

Trust, deals and local connection draw newspaper audiences.  

News Media Canada survey reveals Gen Z and Millennials are prime readership drivers.

What do younger readers and their boomer counterparts have in common? They’re both on the same page with their love for the print medium, which is one of several revelations to come out of the latest Newspapers 24/7 survey (made possible in part by the Government of Canada).

News Media Canada first began conducting the annual survey in 2012, looking at readership by platform and time of day. The group typically conducts about one thousand interviews to get the information it needs, but this year it bumped its sampling size to almost 2,800. And with that wider lens came insights that might surprise.

At the macro level, this year’s research shows that consumption of newspaper content remains remarkably stable year over year, with 4 in 5 (83%) Canadians reading the news every week, either in print or digital format. In total, nearly 30 million newspapers are distributed across the country weekly in markets large and small.

Newspaper journalism continues to dominate the informational media we consume. (Consider how many times per day you’re reading a story online that originated from a newspaper journalist or outlet.)

Click here to continue reading the sponsored article above, originally published in Media in Canada.

Click here to read the CommunityWire news release.

Promotional Material

 

News Media Canada has produced an industry ad campaign to promote the results of the 2023 Newspapers 24/7 study.

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.

About the Study

This is the ninth 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 by platform but one thing has not changed: Canadians continue to access newspaper content across all the various platforms.  In 2012, 85% of Canadians reported that they read newspapers on any platform, over the course of a week and in 2023 that number is 83%.

The 2023 study was conducted in November/December 2022 across all provinces, in English and French and consists of 2,755 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.

Government of Canada