Mary Nesbitt's posting on the Readership Institute site points to its latest wave of newspaper tracking research. The every-other-year survey examined 100 communities and their local newspaper and online sites.
What it makes clear is that readers aren't fleeing at the same rate --- not nearly --- as are advertisers in the U.S.
The local paper's reach is still there, a large part of the paper is being consumed and at some length, and while there are not good signs that young people are acquiring the newspaper habit, the data involving those aged 45 and older indicate a stability in the audience.
Interestingly, a large number of those surveyed had not gone to their newspaper's Web site. The penetration rate in the market of those sites remains very low, which doesn't mirror developments north of the border, where newspaper Web sites are actually faring better in terms of traffic and reach.
