Standout

• 9 in 10 consumers like to be informed about local news.
• One in three reads community newspapers every day.

Introduction

The longer we live in a community the greater our connection. Less than half of residents who have lived in an area for under one year feel a strongly attachment to their community, while 7 out of 10 who have lived there for ten years or more do.

These long-term connections are the norm. Only 5 per cent of readers have lived in their local area for less than a year, while 52 per cent have lived there for 10 years or more.

This connection translates into a strong desire for readers to know what’s going on around them.

Newspaper media plays an important role in connecting readers to their community.

They turn to their community newspaper to stay informed about news and issues affecting their area, to find out what events are happening in their locality and to get practical, relevant information that’s useful in their day-to-day lives.

Readers’ inherent need to stay connected keeps them coming back to their community newspapers, in print and online.

Two in five read most issues of their community newspaper, while another two in five look into their newspaper every day.

Being seen in the local newspaper establishes a business as part of the community. Readers become familiar with advertised businesses over time, giving advertisers a competitive edge over less well-known local businesses.

Read Part 1 of Think Local: Community News Media report here.
Read Part 2 of Think Local: Community News Media report here.