The next generation is ensuring newsprint media maintains its audiences with one quarter of readers less than 30 years of age, according to the latest data from Enhanced Media Metrics of Australia. Newspaper media reaches a total of 91.5% of all Australians aged 14+, or 16.2 million readers, across all platforms according to new monthly data. Data shows 14.6 million people age 14+ were readers of national and paid metropolitan newspapers in print or digital during the last four weeks

 

Newspaper Works (Australia) research and insights manager Brian Rock says the idea that printed newspapers are "an old person’s media" is a myth. "Under 30s make up 24% of readers. People aged 65 and older were 11% more likely to read print editions than the average person—but they account for 19% of readers only. The core of the printed product is in the 30 to 64 age segment, which makes up 58% of all readers, while the highly-valued 25 to 54 age demographic represents 50% of total print readership." 

 

Print remains Australia’s most popular format for news with 14.8 million people reading printed newspapers during the past four weeks, compared with 9.4 million for the digital versions owned by news publishers. National and metro titles alone attracted 12.7 million print readers as well as 7.8 million on digital. In addition, 4.7 million Australians have picked up a community suburban newspaper in the past four weeks, and 2.9 million have grabbed a regional title.

 

The survey shows that 71.8% of the population read a newspaper in the same period, a decline of only 0.2%. The decline is slowing overall, with a 1% drop in readership between January and June this year from 12.9 to 12.7 million, compared with a 3% between June and December 2013. 

 

"Although we expect to see a continuing shift towards digital readership over time, the appetite for printed newspapers will continue for quite some time," Rock said.