Community Newspaper Readership as Strong as Ever But Why the Crickets? - Posted on - 23-02-2010

General discussion - Jeff Beardsworth

The long-anticipated release of the 2008/2009 ComBase readership study occurred in early January <read release here: http://www.combase.ca/news/149/combase-launches-2008-2009-study-results> and from what I've seen so far, community newspapers are clearly the cockroach of the print industry.

While it's been predicted for some time now that the internet and electronic media in general would be the nuclear bomb that wiped traditional print media off the face of the planet; community newspapers appear to be a resilient little bugger. As the soft underbelly of our daily counterparts has been exposed by electronic media's ability to deliver news-on-demand, the community newspaper is brandishing a much harder shell.

While we are still awaiting ‘damage' reports from individual markets, the cursory view from 30,000 feet is encouraging, if not outright staggering.

According to the latest survey, 74% of Canadians report having read any of the last four editions of their community newspaper. In 2005, that figure stood at....74%. Drilling deeper into some of the key demographic categories, the continuing importance of the community newspaper (CN) becomes even clearer. CN readership amongst women sits at 76%, up 1% from 2005, while reach of University + educated jumped to 74% from 73% in 2005. High earning households, those with annual incomes over $75K are also more in touch with their community newspaper than they were 4 years ago. 78% of those households report having read a community newspaper in the last month compared with 76% in 2005.

To me what is most encouraging of all the results I've seen so far are the figures that speak to the important 18-34 target. It's this generation of iBoomers who many would have us believe, view printed newspapers as nothing more than a historical relic. Something to be appreciated at museums or through grandpa's recollections of the ‘old days.' While down slightly, community newspaper readership still sits at a sturdy 63%, hardly apocalyptic.

The Anatomy of the Cockroach

Long considered to be the lowest form of life in an industry dominated by big city dailies and shiny corporations, the community newspaper is seen by many as last bastion of ‘paper and ink media.' Ironically, a media that only a few years ago was clearly segregated by class and marketed as ‘Dailies' and ‘Weeklies' is now being hailed as the ‘Print Industry.' It's become glaringly apparent that some believe the future of daily newspapers (in printed form) might in some way rely on the continued strength of community newspapers. Dissecting why people read community newspapers provides some perspective on this opinion.

Included, as part of the 2009 release is a collection of data that defines the reasons that people continue to read community newspapers. Not surprisingly, the data reveals an anatomy that is unique to the medium:

Reason for Reach
Reading Adults 18+*
Local News 81%
Local Events 63%
Local Editorial 35%

*read any of the last four editions

Local content that, for the most part is of exclusive interest to residents of a defined community, is not only prolonging the life of the community newspaper, it's enhancing it. Clearly, the sustainability of community newspapers is directly tied to the fact it's the most comprehensive source of information dedicated to the things that impact the daily lives of the reader. In fact, it could be argued that the community newspaper itself, can impact the life of its readers.

Ultimately Still Crickets

So while the latest ComBase figures illustrate that community newspapers continue to be read to tatters, the newly ‘unified' industry itself seems hell bent on keeping it a secret. Unlike our media counterparts who tout research releases (regardless of actual results) with the pomp and circumstance of the Olympic Torch lighting ComBase seems content relying on word of mouth to spread the news. With the release now nearly two months old, I would have expected some kind of buzz by now. But maybe we still have too much in common with another six-legged bug.

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