Study: Newspapers Top Online Source for Local News

Posted on May 3, 2002

People who read online newspapers tend to be Internet "power users," spending more time and money online than general Web users, according to a new report from the Newspaper Association of America (NAA). Results of the study, conducted by MORI Research of Minneapolis, were released during the Association's 2002 Annual Convention, being held April 28-May 1 at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside.

The NAA's report also found that newspaper websites also were rated the number one source of local news and information online, beating out other local media sites and national brands such as Yahoo!. In addition, the longer someone has been an online user, the more likely he is to turn to online newspapers for news and information.

"Rather than becoming the replacement for its print version, as so many predicted it would be, the Internet has afforded newspapers a unique opportunity to leverage the news and information -- and the interested audience -- into a new medium," said NAA President and CEO John F. Sturm. "Like their print counterparts, online newspapers deliver the content their readers want, and by extension, the quality audience that advertisers seek."

Some of the study's findings:

Newspaper websites are the top choice for local news and information, beating out other local media sites and such national brands as Yahoo!. Among all Internet users surveyed, 62 percent of those looking for local news turned to an online newspaper. Also, the longer someone has been online, the more likely that person is to log on to an online newspaper for news and entertainment.
Online newspaper users are "power users." Sixty-four percent of online newspaper users have been plugged in for more than four years, compared to 41 percent of general Internet users. Online newspaper users also are more likely to have high-speed connections at home (37 percent vs. 25 percent) and at work (49 percent vs. 17 percent).
Printed local newspapers are the leading source of local advertising for both general Internet users (48 percent) and online newspaper readers (28 percent). Online newspaper readers report that after the print edition, the newspaper's website is their choice for local advertising information, beating out television, radio, shoppers and giveaways, and the Yellow Pages.
Online newspaper users are more affluent and tend to be better educated than general Internet users, making them an attractive demographic for advertisers. About 25 percent of online newspaper users report incomes over $100,000, compared to 17 percent of all online users; 51 percent of online newspaper users are college graduates, compared to 42 percent of general users.
Newspaper online users are more avid online shoppers, and tend to spend more than general Internet users. Nearly eight in 10 online newspaper readers purchased merchandise online in the past six months, compared to about half of general users. Online newspaper users also reported spending more money online, with about half spending more than $500 in the past six months.
Print-newspaper readership among Internet users mirrors that of the general population. Some 75 percent of all online users said they'd read a weekday print newspaper in the past week, compared to 74.5 percent of adults in the top 50 U.S. markets, according to NAA's Spring 2002 Competitive Media Index.
Online newspaper users are considerably more likely than general Internet users to turn to the Internet every day for national and world news (61 percent vs. 21 percent), local news (54 percent versus 13 percent), and sports scores and information (24 percent vs. 9 percent).

The report is available online at NAA's The Digital Edge. The study was conducted in two parts. One was a national telephone survey of 2,000 online consumers, who were interviewed between Jan. 29 and Feb. 23. Results for the second part were drawn from 12,429 completed pop-up questionnaires that appeared on the websites of eight newspapers from Feb. 5 through Feb. 23.