JNRS 2013 Finds Increased Overall Readership Levels, Driven by Growth in Online Readership of Newspapers

•  3 million people read newspapers in print or online regularly
• 2.2 million people read a daily newspaper yesterday
• More people reading newspapers online than ever before

Over 3 million people in Ireland read newspapers regularly, according to the Joint National Readership Survey (JNRS) 2013, which was released today.  This figure includes readers of print and online newspaper products.

2.9m people read printed newspapers regularly (either a daily newspaper yesterday, or a Sunday/weekly newspaper in the past week). Almost 500,000 people accessed newspaper titles online yesterday (for daily brands) or in the past week (for Sunday/weekly brands).

Online Readership Increases by 9 Per Cent in Just Six Months

JNRS 2013 finds that an additional 40,000 Average Issue Readers (AIR) read a newspaper title online than read newspapers online when surveyed for JNRS 2012/2013, released just six months ago. This represents an increase of almost nine per cent in just six months and is very positive news for the newspaper industry.

“This is the first JNRS report that allows for comparison of online readership figures with a previous report and thus, it provides evidence of emerging trends.  It is very positive, but not surprising, to see that online readership is growing at such a healthy pace. Our members have invested heavily in digital media and we believe that readership will continue to grow well in this area,” said Frank Cullen, Co-ordinating Director of National Newspapers of Ireland (NNI).

Meanwhile, print readership has remained relatively consistent, with no change to the topline figure for all newspapers. In fact, the research found a high cross over in readership between print and online, with the majority of readers who report that they read newspapers online reporting that they also read printed versions.

Huge Variation in Online Readership Levels Amongst Socio-Demographic Groups

Online readership varies hugely by demographics, but most groups have shown increases in the past six months. The factors that suggest a person’s likelihood to read newspapers online include socio-demographic group, age and location.

Social group is the single factor that has the greatest impact on a person’s likelihood to read newspapers online, with those in the AB social groups demonstrating levels as high as 34 per cent, while the national average is 15 per cent.

Percentage of Occasional Readers Increases

Behind the topline figures, there is evidence that while 2.9m people continue to read newspapers regularly, occasional readers (readers who do not read a daily title every day) now make up to one in two Average Issue Readers (AIR) of daily newspapers, which is a higher rate than that recorded pre 2012. This is one factor that has contributed to print newspaper readership remaining strong while circulations have declined.

JNRS 2013 – Average Issue Readership (AIR)

 Notes for editors:

At the end of this release, please find the link to a document that answers some Frequently Asked Questions regarding JNRS 2013.

Definition of “regular readership”

“Regular readership” is based on Average Issue Readership (AIR). The definition of average issue readership is as follows:

The principle of measuring “readership” is to attempt to establish at each interview whether or not the person interviewed has looked at any copy of the publication in question (in print or online), during a period back from the day of interview equal to the interval at which the publication appears. (Reading on the actual day of interview is not included). Thus, for each daily paper, the survey established whether or not the person interviewed read it “yesterday”. In the case of daily newspapers, interviews conducted on Mondays treated reading on the previous Saturday as “yesterday”, in line with standard international practice. For each Sunday, regional or weekly publication (including newspaper magazines), the survey identified whether or not the respondent had looked at a copy during the past 7 days. Each of these reading occurrences is described as “average issue readership”, which is commonly referred to simply as “readership”.

About the JNRS

The Joint National Readership Survey (JNRS) is the most definitive and respected benchmark in determining the buying and selling of advertising space in the newspaper media in Ireland. It is Ireland’s largest random probability survey with a sample size of approximately 7,000 adults aged 15+. The JNRS contains a wealth of valuable research on readership in print or online of newspapers and newspaper magazines, as well as lifestyle statements and information on consumer behaviour. In addition it provides a vast amount of information on demographics and make-up of the population.

For further information:

Anna Clarke, Advertising & Marketing Manager

Email: aclarke@cullencommunications.ie

Tel: 01 668 9099