News Media Canada has been measuring newspaper readership across different platforms (print, computer, tablet, phone) and by time of day since 2012. The most recent research was conducted in November/December 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.
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.
News Media Canada has been measuring newspaper readership across different platforms (print, computer, tablet, phone) and by time of day since 2012. The most recent research was conducted in November/December 2023 and confirms the continued strength of newspaper readership in traditional and online formats.
The 2024 study examines different formats of advertising that readers are exposed to in newspapers.
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.
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.
Download Study Material
Click images below to download study material.
Newspapers 24/7: 2024 Presentation (PDF)
Members can email Kelly to request a PowerPoint version with speaker notes.
Newspapers 24/7: 2024 Fact Sheet #1 (PDF)
Newspapers 24/7: 2024 Fact Sheet #2 (PDF)
Study Highlights
Readership remains strong 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.
Six out of ten (59%) people 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, whether it is through e-editions, news podcasts or smart speakers.
Gen Y (Millennials) and Gen Z are strong readers, with 83% of Millennials consuming newspaper content weekly. Gen Z adults report 84% readership, and are the strongest multi-platform readers with 30% reading ALL measured platforms.
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, 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 the 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
Trust, deals and local connection draw newspaper audiences. Â
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.
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 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.