Arlington, VA – Hundreds of millions of adults read news and magazine media each week. That finding and many others can be found in the newly released News/Media Alliance 2023 Market Report: News and Magazine Media: Providing a Trusted, Brand Safe Source for Reaching Engaged & Influential Audiences. The Market Report provides useful facts and figures on the news and magazine media audience and related benefits and advantages for marketers of advertising in print and digital news and magazine media.

A key overall finding of the Market Report is that the inherent value of the news and magazine media audience itself continues to be a huge benefit for advertisers due to their socioeconomic profile and strong purchasing history in several retail categories.

The report highlights the unique qualities of news and magazine media for advertisers, including a brand-safe environment; audience trust in and engagement with the advertising found in their products; a wealthier, more-educated audience than the average U.S. adult; news media reach of more than 116 million U.S. adult consumers, including 44 percent of adults; and magazine media reach of 224 million Americans in 2023.

The Market Report details how news and magazine media provide the best advertising strategies and channels to reach the desired audience(s). The report looks at key demographics of the news and magazine audience, such as income and education, as well as their buying and spending habits and their role as influencers in society which, taken together, make them a must-reach audience for advertisers.

Alliance Vice President of Research & Insights, Rebecca Frank said, “We are excited to have this data to help us evolve the understanding of the value of news and magazine readers for advertisers, which we hope will sustain ad-supported media into the future.”

Today’s news and magazine companies are publishers of original content, providers of marketing services and experts on their readers and communities. Their solutions encompass a variety of customer-focused marketing solutions, from standard print and digital advertising to events, research and marketing services.

“Nowhere else can readers find the quality journalism and content that our members offer,” said Alliance President & CEO Danielle Coffey. “From sports to politics to recipes to games to breaking news to investigative journalism, news and magazine media provide that brand safe environment where marketers can feel confident that their ads will always appear alongside trusted and credible content.”

This is the first combined report on the unified news and magazine media industry under the News/Media Alliance, which last year merged with MPA, the Association of Magazine Media. Alliance members represent many of the largest and most renowned brands in the magazine and news publishing industries representing $45 billion in combined annual revenue.

The 66-page Market Report includes research and statistics from a wide range of sources, including MRI-Simmons, Nielsen Scarborough, Edelman Trust Barometer and more, which paint a comprehensive picture of the value of the news and magazine audience for advertisers.

Highlights from the 2023 Market Report include:

Reach:

• Our products reach hundreds of millions of Americans.
• Print and digital newspaper reach nearly half of all US adults (116 million or 44%)
  • 45% of adult men engage with news media weekly, 43% of adult women.
• The US magazine audience reached 223.6 million Americans in 2023 (print + digital)
  • 87% of US adults have read a magazine in the last 6 months.

Valuable Audiences:

• The news media audience is well-educated and high-income, with a median household income $8K higher than the national average.
  • News audiences who access news via web/apps/mobile are younger (half are under age 44) and even higher-earning individuals.
• Nearly 9 in 10 Americans of all age groups have read magazine media in the past 6 months, with numbers increasing as age decreases.
  • Black, Hispanic and LGBT Americans all read more print magazines per month than the U.S. average.

Trust:

• Traditional media sources are more trusted than owned and social media.
• Magazine readers are trusted by their communities and influence others’ purchases and make recommendations.
  • Readers prefer magazines to internet, TV and radio on the topics of healthcare, automotive, vacation, finance, and food.

Spending Habits:

• News media reach not only high-value consumers, but those who make high-end purchases.
  • News media reach 58% of households that own or lease a hybrid or electric car, 58% of households that own stocks, and 51% of shoppers who spent $2500 or more on internet purchases in the past year.
• Nearly 8 in 10 magazine readers who see an ad in their magazine take an action as a result.
  • One in four readers looked for more information about the product/service, and one in five visited the advertiser’s website.

The Market Report is available exclusively to Alliance members on its website here (member login required). Advertisers and other who are not Alliance members who are interested in obtaining a copy of the report can request it here.

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Media Contact:
Lindsey Loving
Director, Communications
lindsey@newsmediaalliance.org

The News/Media Alliance is a nonprofit organization representing more than 2,200 news and magazine media organizations and their multiplatform businesses in the United States and globally. Alliance members include print and digital publishers of original journalism. Headquartered just outside Washington, D.C., the association focuses on ensuring the future of journalism through communication, research, advocacy, and innovation. Information about the News/Media Alliance can be found at www.newsmediaalliance.org.

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This Q&A provides additional background information and answers to common questions about the News/Media Alliance 2023 Market Report: News and Magazine Media: Providing a Trusted, Brand Safe Source for Reaching Engaged & Influential Audiences.

Q: What is the Market Report and what does it contain?

A: The 2023 Market Report from the News/Media Alliance is a comprehensive research report that provides revealing facts and insights that help inform publishers and advertisers about the value of our members’ products.

The 2023 Report features newly published data about news and magazine media, including audience size and demographics, reader consumption behavior, shopping trends, and more. The report grew out of previous work done by the News/Media Alliance, specifically the News Advertising Panorama and Magazine Media Factbook (member login required).

Q: Who is the audience(s) for the Market Report?

A: The audience for the Market Report includes those working in or with the news and magazine industry, including in advertising, marketing, editorial, audience engagement, and other aspects of providing engaging content to readers. There are hundreds of useful data points in the Market Report to help you gain additional insight into who, what, when, where and why readers engage with news and magazine media, including ads.

Q: Why did you combine the separate news and magazine reports?

A: We know that all publishers – news and magazine outlets, print and digital – face similar challenges and can help one another to position themselves for success. As our organizations merged in 2022, we represent a unified industry working toward shared goals, and so moving forward, we will release the data in a combined Market Report.

However, the report still breaks out separately data that is specific to news or magazines.

Q: What are the main highlights of the Market Report?

A: We see the most important findings that members and advertisers alike can draw from the report as laddering to four larger categories:

1. Audience Size: News and magazine media reach hundreds of millions of Americans.

• Print and digital newspapers reach nearly half of all US adults (116 million, or 44 percent).
  • Forty-five percent of adult men and 43 percent of adult women engage with news media each week.
  • Magazines reached 223.6 million Americans in 2023 (print + digital).
    • Eighty-seven percent of U.S. adults have read a magazine in the last six months.

2. Audience readership composition + demographic info: News and magazine media reach a wide group of valuable consumers.

• The news media audience is well-educated and higher income, with a median household income that is $8,000 higher than the national average.
  • News audiences who access news via web, apps, and mobile are younger (half are under age 44) and even higher earning.
• Magazines reach an engaged audience of young and diverse consumers.
  • Eighty-seven percent of white adults, 88 percent of Hispanic adults, 89 percent of Black adults, 91 percent of LGBT adults and 92 percent of Asian-American adults read magazines in the past six months.
  • Eighty-nine percent of Americans under age 35 and 90 percent under age 25 also read magazines in the past six months.

3. Opportunities for advertisers: News and magazine media reach people looking to make big ticket purchases and who take action on information they get from news and magazines.

• News media reach not only high-value consumers, but those who make high-end purchases.
  • News media reach 58 percent of households that own or lease a hybrid or electric car, 58 percent of households that own stocks, and 51 percent of shoppers who spent $2,500 or more on internet purchases in the past year.
  • Nearly eight in 10 magazine readers who see an ad in their magazine take an action as a result.
  • One in four readers looked for more information about the product/service, and one in five visited the advertiser’s website.

4. Trust: News and magazine publishers earn readers’ trust and they share our products with their friends and families.

• Traditional media sources are more trusted than owned and social media.
• Magazine readers are trusted by their communities and influence others’ purchases and make recommendations.
  • Readers prefer magazines to internet, TV and radio on the topics of healthcare, automotive, vacation, finance, and food.

Q: What else can I expect in the Market Report?

A: Other data in the Market Report include: Information about audience size and growth, reader demographics, purchase and spending behaviors, voting behavior, perceptions of news and magazine products, reader trust in news and magazine media, including ads; opinions about advertising fit with news and magazine content; and actions taken after seeing ads in news and magazine media.

Q: Where did the data come from?

A: Data and statistics in the 2023 Report came from some of the most trusted research companies in the field, including Nielsen Scarborough, MRI-Simmons/GfK, and Edelman.

Q: How can people use the Market Report?

A: Our vision for the Market Report and its predecessors has always been to inform any and all activities that publishers are using to help sustain their businesses. Examples include developing presentations and Media Kits for advertisers, developing new local outreach strategies, and refining advertising client targets based on these data points.

Q: Can I use content straight from the Market Report in my own presentations, and do I have to get permission first?

A: Yes! Members can use full slides or certain charts and graphs from the Market Report within presentations and in internal and external communications. We just ask that you attribute the information to “News/Media Alliance, 2023 Market Report, November 2023.” You do not have to get formal permission first.

Related Articles:

Press release: New Market Report from News/Media Alliance Provides Trends, Insights on Valuable News & Magazine Audience for Advertisers

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The latest research, trends and insights on the news and magazine audience for marketing and advertising professionals

The News/Media Alliance is pleased to provide the 2023 Market Report: News and Magazine Media: Providing a Trusted, Brand Safe Source for Reaching Engaged & Influential Audiences. The Market Report provides updated research trends and data points that highlight the continued enthusiasm for news and magazine media, as well as the strong credibility and trust news and magazine media enjoy with their readers. The Market Report’s insights on readership and audience preferences aid news, magazine and advertising professionals in their collaboration and enhancement of their advertising efforts.

The Market Report, published by the News/Media Alliance, represents many of the largest and most renowned brands in the magazine and news publishing industries, representing over 2,200 print and digital publications in the United States and globally, and over $40 billion in annual revenue.

News/Media Alliance members:

Access the Market Report – member login required.*

Non-members / Agencies:

If you are not a member of the Alliance, but you are interested in requesting the 2023 Market Report, please submit a request here for consideration to receive a copy.

* If needed, you can reset your Alliance password here. Please email membership@newsmediaalliance.org if you require assistance or have any questions.

Related resources:

View the press release on the 2023 Market Report here.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Arlington, VA – The News/Media Alliance has released the latest installment of the Magazine Media Factbook. The Factbook provides updated research trends and data points that highlight the continued enthusiasm for magazine media, as well as the strong credibility and trust magazine media enjoy with their readers. The Factbook’s insights on magazine consumption and audience preferences aid magazine and advertising professional collaboration and enhance their advertising efforts.

The Factbook, originally a product of MPA – The Association of Magazine Publishers, which merged with the News Media Alliance on July 1, 2022, is being published this year by the newly combined organization, the News/Media Alliance. News/Media Alliance members represent many of the largest and most renowned brands in the magazine and news publishing industries. The combined industries represent over $40 billion in annual revenue.

“Magazines provide an ideal environment for advertising that inspires action, and the Magazine Media Factbook confirms that through its in-depth research statistics and insights,” said Alliance President and CEO, David Chavern. “Our members are trusted sources of information that readers want and need, with thoughtful, relevant and interesting ads that make readers feel heard and understood. That translates to more sales and a greater return on investment for marketers.”

Highlights from the 2022 Magazine Media Factbook:

• Overall audience across print and digital grew in 2021 to 222.2 million readers.
• Magazine launches rebounded from the height of the pandemic, doubling to 122 new titles in 2021.
• More than half of individuals in every age group interact with magazines on social media.
• People of all ages still enjoy experiencing magazines in print, including nearly six in ten 18-34 year-olds (58 percent) who say they love the touch and feel of a printed magazine.
• Magazine readers influence others’ shopping behaviors and are above-average spenders in several purchasing categories.
• Devoted magazine readers are wealthier, enjoy exclusive luxury products and services, and are more likely to pay premium prices in certain retail categories.
• Advertising in magazine media is effective:
  • Over 90 percent of women 18-34 took action after seeing an ad in both a magazine and its website, and research from Dynata shows that magazine prints ads provide brand lift when it comes to growing consumer awareness and purchase intent.
  • Fifty-seven percent of adults ages 18-49 say ads in magazines fit well with the content, more than other media.
  • The number of magazine website advertisers increased 23 percent in 2021 vs. 2020.

Alliance members can access the full Factbook here (member login required). All others may request a copy of the Factbook by emailing Alliance Vice President of Research & Insights, Rebecca Frank at rebecca@newsmediaalliance.org.

###

Media Contact:
Lindsey Loving
Director, Communications
lindsey@newsmediaalliance.org

The News/Media Alliance is a nonprofit organization representing more than 2,000 news and magazine media organizations and their multiplatform businesses in the United States and globally. Alliance members include print and digital publishers of original journalism. Headquartered just outside Washington, D.C., the association focuses on ensuring the future of journalism through communication, research, advocacy, and innovation. Information about the News/Media Alliance can be found at www.newsmediaalliance.org.

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The latest research, trends and insights on magazine readers for magazine and advertising professionals

The News/Media Alliance is pleased to provide the latest installment of the Magazine Media Factbook. The Magazine Media Factbook provides updated research trends and data points that highlight the continued enthusiasm for magazine media, as well as the strong credibility and trust magazine media enjoy with their readers. The Factbook’s insights on magazine consumption and audience preferences aid magazine and advertising professional collaboration and enhance their advertising efforts.

The Factbook, originally a product of MPA – The Association of Magazine Publishers, which merged with the News Media Alliance on July 1, 2022, is being published this year by the newly combined organization, the News/Media Alliance. News/Media Alliance members represent many of the largest and most renowned brands in the magazine and news publishing industries.

News/Media Alliance members:

Access the Factbook – member login required.*

Non-members / Agencies:

If you are not a member of the Alliance, but you are interested in requesting the Factbook, please contact Alliance Vice President of Research & Insights, Rebecca Frank at rebecca@newsmediaalliance.org for consideration to receive a copy.

* Please email membership@newsmediaalliance.org if you need your username and password sent to you.

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News/Media Alliance president and CEO David Chavern recently talked with Gordon Borrell about the future of news publishing on the latest episode of the Local Marketing Trends podcast, hosted by Borrell and Corey Elliott.

Listen now

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Over the last three years, NAA has executed a number of “quick and easy” snapshot surveys in an effort to track the trends in single copy sales and the operational changes that continue to evolve. A number of factors affected weekday and Sunday single copy sales during that time. First, there were dramatic increases in the retail prices for newspapers. At the same time, there was a focus on reducing promotional and distribution costs.

Newspapers also made great strides in that period in increasing the usage and popularity of digital offerings and mobile apps, particularly for breaking news and updated information.

Coupon usage and the popularity of the Sunday insert package remains strong, though the value proposition is challenged by more modest insert packages and competition from digital sources for shopping information. The newspaper’s digital channels are increasingly used for providing late sports results and, in some cases, newspaper deadlines have been advanced due to more remote printing sites and shared distribution operations.

This latest installment of the survey was intended to capture the level of sales after the holidays and provide early benchmarking data for audience/circulation executives. The findings also provide insight into how the second quarter may begin, compared to the same period in 2015.

Read the full Single Copy Snapshot.

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Download a pdf of the full report here.

The traditional paid home delivery subscription continues to be the largest category in the Alliance of Audited Media’s (AAM) “total paid print circulation” metric. Despite the many changes in marketing newspaper content, the home delivery subscription continues to mark consumer preferences and has become an increasingly important source of newspaper revenue.

The definition of “paid print circulation” was narrowed after 2010 when the category of “qualified circulation” was added to the reporting options. This change eliminated categorical trending to prior years. Nuances aside, eight of ten copies of paid print circulation are now home delivered to subscribers. Although the majority of newspaper print subscribers are multi-platform readers, it is clear that Sunday and weekday home delivery remains the most popular sales channel for marketing print newspapers. (See Table 1)

Eight of ten copies of paid print circulation are now home delivered to subscribers.

Average weekday circulation has become a less relevant metric today because newspapers sell fewer seven-day subscriptions and therefore it understates the reach of key days that include most of the print advertising, which are the most profitable days of the week. For most newspapers, their print reach is much higher than the weekday average. And this is true of the industry as a whole. But it is still meaningful for measuring the relative importance of each of the sales channels and circulation classifications.

The value of the AAM “Total Circulation” metric is in the inclusion of the individual components.

During the last five years, AAM has continually increased the transparency of circulation reporting for newspapers. At the same time, the organization has maintained the integrity of the process newspapers must follow to classify copies, print or digital, to be included in a designated circulation category. The metric labeled “total circulation” provides newspapers a better opportunity to report all of its products designed to build audience and readership. It also provides a menu of choices for advertisers.

The “total circulation metric” is not intended to be a meaningful number in itself. It is the dozen or so categories that comprise “total circulation” that provide the advertiser improved insight into what they are buying, and how it will deliver an audience.

Wisely, less attention is given to comparing different newspapers’ “total circulation” or the industry’s “total circulation.” In itself it is not a metric of success. In fact, many newspapers chose not to report copies that could be included in the total. Attention is instead directed to the various components that appeal to advertisers and comprise what is defined as total circulation and its subtotals.

Paid print circulation remains dominant. This has been critical to newspapers because the average circulation revenue per print subscriber has increased by more than 50 percent in the last five years, newsstand prices have increased at a similar rate, and advertising insert revenue is directly tied to print circulation. So while print circulation is less important in gauging a newspaper’s total audience, it does represent an important slice of revenue.

It is the dozen or so categories that comprise “total circulation” that provide the advertiser improved insight into what they are buying, and how it will deliver an audience.

The industry averages are just that – averages.

Within the newspaper industry certain similar strategies have emerged among individual newspapers. Sweeping changes such as charging readers more for home delivery subscriptions and single copy editions, development of new Sunday targeted free editions, and encouraging print subscribers to become cross platform users are strategies common to most newspapers. But in other areas, newspapers take disparate paths and, increasingly, circulation reporting is an example.

On weekdays, paid print is 71.4 percent of total circulation. On Sundays, 63.4 percent is paid print. (See Table 2) The percentage is lower on Sundays because newspapers have been successful in marketing free Sunday products that are either requested by subscribers (5.3 percent of paid print circulation) or targeted to specific households (12.7 percent).

Single copy continues to be an important component, particularly on Sundays. Sunday single copy sales are 19.7 percent of paid print circulation and at least 12.5 percent of total circulation. Qualified single copy in total, a growing category for newspapers that appreciate the simplicity of reporting, contributes another 2.5 percent to the Sunday circulation total. As newspapers shift from newsracks and add a multiplicity of small, over-the-counter locations (e.g. fast food, breakfast hot spots and smaller retailers), in some cases, they do not warrant the procedures and controls necessary to qualify as individually paid single copy sales.

Reporting digital circulation remains a choice rather than an obligation.

Digital circulation is 24.8 percent of reported total average weekday circulation and 13.9 percent of total Sunday circulation. Newspapers are now reporting more digital non-replica circulation than digital replica circulation.

And, many newspapers do not report any qualified digital circulation. For example, the digital audience engaged with newspaper content reached a new peak in August 2015, totaling 179.3 million adult unique visitors. The count is a 10% increase in adult unique visitors measured by comScore since August 2014, and is double the growth rate for the Internet overall (5%, NAA, October 2015). The reported digital circulation data does not reflect that growth.

Digital replica circulation, however, is more relevant because digital replica editions include print advertising, and the digital replica circulation needs to be added to the print circulation to measure the implied reach of an ROP advertisement.

Circulation size does differentiate newspaper reporting.

Newspapers with less than 50,000 Sunday circulation, the majority of AAM newspapers, do look different than the industry average, as do the largest newspapers. For example, newspapers with less than 50K circulation are less likely to report digital copies. AAM daily newspapers overall reported 13.9 percent of total Sunday circulation as digital. For smaller newspapers, the average is 5.9 percent digital. This is due to a number of factors and does not necessarily indicate these newspapers are unsuccessful in drawing readers into their digital offerings. In some cases these newspapers are simply paying less attention to the total circulation metrics. These newspapers may be avoiding the rigors of reporting qualified digital circulation that cannot be monetized utilizing traditional circulation metrics. The largest difference is in reporting non-replica digital circulation. Newspapers with less than 50K circulation reported 2.1 percent of total circulation as digital non-replica and the AAM average is 10.5 percent for the same period. The digital replica breakdown is identical, with 3.4 percent of total Sunday circulation.

Paid home delivery comprises 49.7 percent of AAM total circulation, but it is 57.9 percent of total circulation for newspapers reporting less than 50K Sunday circulation. This segment of smaller newspapers reported 15.3 percent of total circulation as paid single copy sales compared to the industry average of 12.5 percent. (Table 2)

Circulation and readership provide a comprehensive picture of newspaper marketing effectiveness.

AAM circulation reporting still provides a glimpse into how newspapers are going to market to build readership and attract advertisers. Although audited circulation reporting continues to be essential for a newspaper marketing its ability to deliver for insert advertisers, readership data remains a more insightful metric for measuring total audience and third-party providers such as comScore are the credible sources for marketing a newspaper’s digital reach.

The Alliance of Audited Media responds to this challenge effectively by encouraging newspapers to include all of this data in the newspaper’s Consolidated Media Report published by AAM. Increasingly, reporting circulation data is only one reason for a newspaper to submit its data to AAM and to utilize AAM as a portal to reach perspective advertisers.

As reader behaviors change, the composition of the newspaper industry’s total circulation will also continue to evolve. Newspapers’ responses to these changes will reflect the most cost-effective means of building their total audience and offering it in relevant segments to their advertising customers.

For a pdf of the full report, click here.

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The digital audience engaged with newspaper content reached a new peak in August 2015, totaling 179.3 million adult unique visitors. The count is a 10% increase in adult unique visitors measured by comScore since August 2014, and is double the growth rate for the Internet overall (5%).

The latest data also revealed:

— More than nine in 10 men (93%) and women (92%) ages 25-44 who were online in August 2015 engaged with newspaper digital content.

— The newspaper digital audience grew more than twice as fast as the overall internet audience for age groups 18-24, 25-34 and 35-44.

— Half of the newspaper digital audience is composed of those who use only mobile devices (smartphones or tablets) for their newspaper digital content

— Eight in 10 of the newspaper mobile audience use smartphones exclusively for access.

Detailed Findings
The explosive growth in the usage of mobile devices—smartphones and tablets—for news and information during the past year persistently boosted the newspaper digital audience. For each successive month since November 2014 (see chart below), those using only mobile devices to interact with newspaper websites is the largest audience component. By contrast, there has been a downward trend for those using only PCs (desktop or laptops), or those using a combination of PCs and mobile during the month.

As compiled for August 2015, half of the newspaper digital audience is composed of those who use only mobile devices to interact with newspaper websites. Just over one-quarter (27%) of the audience uses PCs (desktop or laptops) only, while less than one-quarter (23%) use both mobile and PCs during the month.

Composition of Newspaper Digital Audience by Platform Type, August 2015
(Adult Unique Visitors)
Mobile-Exclusive              50%
PC (desktop/laptop)         27%
Both PC and Mobile         23%

Over the past 12 months, the newspaper digital audience grew at a rate (+10%) double that of the Internet (+5%).

Overall, more than eight in 10 (83%) of adult men and women online during the month engaged with newspaper digital platforms on their desktop or mobile devices. Among the youngest age group, those 18-24, slightly more men (81%) than women (77%) were part of the newspaper digital audience. Two middle range age segments, those 25-34 and 35-44, had nearly identical proportions of online adults reached —93% for men and 92% for women.

These impressive net reach numbers demonstrate the importance consumers place on engaging with newspaper digital content and further reveal the vitality of newspaper media in an era where all businesses are challenged to enhance performance.

Download full PDF of the report

Note: The term mobile-only or mobile-exclusive refers to using only a smartphone or tablet, and not a desktop or laptop computer to access newspaper digital content during the month. Usage of the traditional printed newspaper is not captured in the comScore dataset.

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