Scarborough Writes a Refreshing Headline for the Newspaper Industry:
Three‐Quarters of Adults are Reading Newspapers, in Print or Online
NEW YORK (November 17, 2009) Three‐quarters (74%) of U.S. adults, or nearly 171 million
people, read a newspaper ‐‐ in print or online ‐‐ during the past week. This is according to
the latest Integrated Newspaper Audience (INA)* finding from Scarborough Research, the
audience ratings measurement service for the newspaper industry. The company examined
newspaper readership in its recently released Scarborough USA+ Study, which captures media
patterns and other consumer behaviors of adults across the country. The data analysis indicates
that newspapers are still read in print or online by a critical mass of adults in the U.S. on a daily
and weekly basis.
“While our data does show that print newspaper readership is slowly declining, it also illustrates
that reports about the pending death of the newspaper industry are not supported by audience
data,” said Gary Meo, Scarborough Research’s Senior Vice President of Print and Digital Media
Services. “Given the fragmentation of media choices, printed newspapers are holding onto their
audiences relatively well and this is refreshing news.”
The analysis of Scarborough audience data not only indicated that newspapers are being read by
a majority of adults in print and online, but also that these Integrated Newspaper Audiences
continue to attract educated, affluent readers. In an average week:
• 79% of adults employed in white collar positions read a newspaper in print or online
• 82% of adults with household incomes of $100,000 or more read a printed newspaper in
print or online
• 84% of adults who are college graduates or who have advanced degrees read a printed
newspaper in print or online
“Printed newspapers have been trusted sources of news and information for decades, and many
newspapers have continued that tradition by successfully extending their brands into the digital
space,” said Mr. Meo. “In doing so, they are attracting an audience that has even stronger
socioeconomic status – equally upscale with their print brethren, but younger.”
“The Scarborough news is noteworthy in the wake of the recent FAS‐FAX report from the Audit
Bureau of Circulations (ABC), which reported significant declines in weekday and Sunday printed
newspaper circulation,” said Mr. Meo. “While Scarborough shows declines in printed
newspaper readership, these have not been as severe as those reported in circulation.
*Integrated Newspaper Audience is the percentage of adults in the market who have read the printed newspaper over 5 week days
or on Sunday, or visited the newspaper’s website(s), or did both during the past seven days
This is because circulation and audience do not always march in lockstep as they are two
different measurements.“
Circulation, which is audited and reported by the ABC, refers to the number of printed
newspaper copies sold. Audience, which is measured by Scarborough and accredited by the
Media Rating Council (MRC), refers to the percentage or number of adults who actually read the
newspaper.
“For media buyers, analysts and others who evaluate the health of newspapers and the value of
our medium’s advertising, audience is a far more meaningful way to measure newspapers’
ability to attract a growing audience across multiple platforms,” said John F. Sturm, president
and CEO of the Newspaper Association of America. “This important data from Scarborough
Research also provides further evidence that newspapers reach a highly educated, affluent
audience.”
About Scarborough Research
Scarborough Research (www.scarborough.com, info@scarborough.com) measures the lifestyle
and shopping patterns, media behaviors and demographics of American consumers, and is
considered the authority on local market research. Scarborough’s core syndicated consumer
insight studies in 81 Top‐Tier Markets, its Multi‐Market Study and its national USA+ Study are
Media Rating Council (MRC) accredited. Other products and services include Scarborough Mid‐
Tier Local Market Studies, Hispanic Studies and Custom Research Solutions. Scarborough
measures 2,000 consumer categories and serves a broad client base that includes marketers,
advertising agencies, print and electronic media (broadcast and cable television, radio stations),
sports teams and leagues and out‐of‐home media companies. Surveying more than 220,000
adults annually, Scarborough is a joint venture between Arbitron Inc. (www.arbitron.com) and
The Nielsen Company (www.nielsen.com).
Contact: Allyson Mongrain, Scarborough Research
703‐451‐3174 / amongrain@scarborough.com

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