4 Reasons Why Print Newspapers are Still Relevant
Article Provided by: ChoosePrint.org
With so many “doom and gloom” stories about the future of print
newspapers, we thought we’d take a look at some of the reasons why print
newspapers are still relevant for both readers and advertisers. Here is some
food for thought:
Print ads spur action – A recent study conducted by Frank N. Magid
Associates for the Newspaper Association of America found that 40% of U.S.
adults have taken an action online as a result of reading or seeing an ad in a
print newspaper in the past 30 days. In addition, 78% of adults have taken
some action in the past 30 days as a result of an ad in a circular that was
included in the newspaper package.1
Print readers recall more than online readers – Another study, conducted
by a researcher at the University of Houston, found that people who read
printed news publications remember more news than people who read news
online. A number of possible explanations for this are offered. For example,
because story placement in online news outlets is constantly changing,
readers are less likely to realize which stories are the most important ones
of the day. In addition, knowing that anything they find online can be easily
retrieved, readers of online news stories may simply pay less attention as
they read.2
Print is more trustworthy – When Nielsen asked people whether they
thought different media are “trustworthy,” printed national newspapers
outranked all other options, with 58% of respondents appreciating
newspapers’ trustworthiness.3 Perhaps this is because, as a recent editorial
in the Orange County Register pointed out, “Print outlets are uniquely
able to take a longer view than other media. They can vet the facts
more thoroughly, attempt to fit them into a broader context, and – most
importantly – take the time to actually engage in a little reflection.”4
Print is preferred by many – Given all of these facts, perhaps it should come
as no surprise that a 2014 Scarborough newspaper readership survey found
that 55% of U.S. newspaper readers choose to consume their local paper
in print only.5 Not coincidentally, when the Dallas Morning News surveyed
2,000 of their print subscribers to see if they would be willing to switch to
an all-digital platform, very few said yes. Even if the digital product was
priced at just one-tenth of the print subscription, only 5% of respondents
said they’d be interested. Why weren’t readers interested in switching? As
Jim Moroney, the newspaper’s Publisher & CEO explained, “Butter is not a
substitute for a car. They’re different things.”6
These are just a few of the reasons to Choose Print!
1 Frank N. Magid Associates, How America Shops and Spends 2014
2 Arthur D. Santana, Randall M. Livingstone, and Yoon Y. Choo, Print Readers Recall More Than Do Online Readers. Newspaper Research Journal, Vol. 34, No. 2 – Spring 2013.
3 Nielsen, 2013 National Cross-Media Engagement Study
4 Orange County Register, Editorial: Why Print Still Matters, September 24, 2014.
5 Scarborough newspaper readership survey conducted on behalf of the Newspaper Association of America, 2014.
6 Erik Wemple, Dallas Morning News publisher: Print and digital are like butter and a car, The Washington Post, October 17, 2014
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