JNRS 2012 shows significant increase in newspaper consumption

• JNRS 2012 includes digital readership data for first time
• Report shows that more than 4 out of 5 people in Ireland read newspapers regularly
• 11% of people in Ireland choose to read newspapers online
• Print remains dominant platform

Increasingly, newspapers are news media companies that provide their content on a variety of platforms. Accordingly, for the first time, JNRS 2012 will reflect readership behaviour in Ireland across print and digital platforms.

JNRS has collected data on digital readership since June 2012 and the report being released today represents the first opportunity to review the findings of this research.

Overall, the findings are extremely positive and show that 84 per cent of adults in Ireland access newspaper content and engage with newspaper brands regularly.

More than 4 out of 5 (82 per cent) people in Ireland read a printed newspaper regularly. 11 per cent of readers choose to read their newspaper online. Less than 3 per cent of all readers read online only – the vast majority of online readers also read printed newspapers.

The data provided by JNRS 2012 suggests that, in line with international trends, many newspaper readers choose to access their newspaper content on more than one platform, with some readers reading in print, on a desktop, a tablet and a mobile device.

“Whether readers choose to access newspaper content in print or online, it is the quality of content that leads readers to trust newspaper brands,” said Frank Cullen Co-ordinating Director of National Newspapers of Ireland (NNI). “The findings of JNRS 2012 demonstrate that newspapers are very widely read in Ireland and that the printed product remains the platform of choice for the majority of readers. We expect more people to engage with newspaper content online as more and more sophisticated digital offerings enter the market. This research will provide a means to measure that engagement and it will help advertisers to make informed decisions about how they invest their marketing spends.”

JNRS 2012/13, which is scheduled for release in August 2013, will provide more detail on the platforms through which readers engage with newspaper content and the breakdown of readership within individual newspaper brands.

Notes for Editors:

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, 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 looked at a copy of 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 2 weeks and, for each monthly publication, whether or not he/she had looked at a copy during the past month. 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 over 7000. The JNRS contains a wealth of valuable research on readership of newspapers and newspaper magazines, as well as lifestyle statements and information on over 200 product categories. In addition it provides a vast amount of information on demographics and make-up of the population.

For further information please contact:

Anna Clarke, National Newspapers of Ireland

Email: aclarke@cullencommunications.ie

Tel: 01 668 9099