Seventh annual Newspapers 24/7 Report confirms that 88% of Canadians read newspapers every week – the highest number since the study began in 2012
In the midst of continued discussion and debate about the state of Canadian media, the seventh annual Newspapers 24/7 Report (an annual benchmark of Canadian newspaper readership conducted by Totum Research on behalf of News Media Canada) found that readership of Canadian newspapers is at an all-time high. According to the survey, which was conducted in February of this year, 88% of Canadians read a newspaper, in either print or digital format, at least once a week—a three per cent increase from the inaugural study, which was conducted in 2012.
“Given heightened levels of global mistrust, we’re seeing a clear and continued affinity for the reliable reporting that newspapers provide,” said Bob Cox, Chair, News Media Canada. “Newspapers continue to be the go-to source for credible, trusted and independent news, in both print and digital formats.”
Unsurprisingly, digital newspaper readership continues to increase year-over-year: the 2019 report found that 83% of newspaper readers are accessing at least some of their newspaper content online. Interestingly, however, the majority of these readers are using that digital content to supplement—not replace—readership of a print edition of the newspaper. In total, 52% of newspaper readers access newspaper content from both print and online sources.
“This year’s research clearly demonstrates that both print and digital newspaper sources play a unique and distinct role in the lives of Canadians,” said Claude Heimann, President, Totum Research. “For example, it’s clear that people like to start their day with the comprehensive and in-depth reporting of a print newspaper, and then stay up-to-date on breaking news on digital as the day progresses.
The report confirms that most print reading happens early in the day, while digital reading is more consistent from morning to night.
Finally, the research specifically looked at the newspaper reading habits of younger Canadians. And while Millennials have been blamed for the death of everything from mayonnaise to department stores, newspapers appear to have avoided that curse: 88% of Millennials read newspapers weekly, accessing newspaper content primarily through their mobile phones.
More detail on the Newspapers 24/7 study is available at newsmediacanada.ca/ad-resources/newspapers-247.
