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America's community newspapers build vibrant connection between readers, advertisers

Strong communities are all about strong relationships and connections: citizens and their government; citizens and community businesses; local government and local businesses; citizens and local social or cultural institutions. Nothing facilitates or creates those relationships and connections like America's community newspapers. In cities and towns served by a community newspaper of 25,000 circulation or less, 86 percent of the population read a community newspaper each week. No other media has that kind of reach into and throughout those communities.

This is among the findings of the 2008 research conducted for the National Newspaper Association (NNA) by the Reynolds Journalism Institute (RJI) at the Missouri School of Journalism at the University of Missouri. The findings are very consistent with two earlier research efforts by NNA and RJI's Center for Advanced Social Research.

The connection between community newspapers and their readers, and the resulting connection of those readers to local advertisers, remains strong in communities across America. To many readers, the weekly advertisements are a form of news: weekly specials or sales, the launch of new businesses and services, the introduction of new products, and even a barometer of the economic health and vitality of the community.

Along Main Street across the nation:

• 79 percent of adults 18 and older read the classified ads.
• 73 percent read the grocery or supermarket advertisements and-or inserts. Half rely most on their community newspaper for grocery shopping information. That's twice that of the next most relied upon source: in-store promotions. And 10-times more than the third most relied upon source: direct mail.
• 72 percent of community newspaper readers read the hardware and home improvement advertisements. Some 28 percent rely most on their community newspaper for home improvement shopping information. That's about 50 percent more than the next most relied upon source: in-store promotions. And three times more than the third most relied upon source: the Internet.
• 66 percent of community newspaper readers read the department store ads.
• 65 percent of community newspaper readers read the discount store ads.
• 62 percent of community newspaper readers read the public notice ads. 81 percent believe government should be required to publish public notices in the local paper.

Some 78 percent of all adults said they rarely or never use the radio to make purchasing decisions; 69 percent said they rarely or never used direct mail to make purchasing decisions; 59 percent say they rarely or never use the television to make purchasing decisions; 58 percent said they rarely or never used the Yellow Pages for buying decisions; 41 percent said they rarely or never used the Internet for buying decisions.

However, 71 percent found newspaper ads helpful in making purchasing decisions. That compares with almost 50 percent in 2007 and 41 percent in 2005.

"It's very clear that newspapers provide a very strong connection between local readers and local businesses and services," says John Stevenson, NNA president and publisher of the Randolph Leader in Roanoke, AL.

This year's survey asked a new set of questions that had been asked in a similar Canadian study.

• Some 79 percent said they would rather look through newspaper ads than watch ads on TV. This compares to 61 percent in the Canadian survey.
• Three-quarters of adults said they would rather look through newspaper ads than view ads on the Internet.
• Just over 70 percent somewhat-to-strongly agree that they go looking for and through newspaper ads. This is comparable to the Canadian response.
• Nearly 70 percent somewhat-to-strongly agree that they enjoy reading advertising in their local paper. This compares to 66 percent in the Canadian survey.

"Buyers read newspapers," says Brian Steffens, NNA's executive director, "and our research shows there is no stronger media for connecting a community, its people, government and economic vibrancy."

• Some 78 percent of those surveyed said they planned to purchase health or medical products or services in the next year.
• 73 percent plan to buy women's clothing.
• 60 percent plan to buy men's clothing.
• 58 percent plan to purchase "travel," air, hotel, cruise, rental car, etc.
• 52 percent plan to purchase lawn and garden supplies or services.
• 41 percent plan to buy electronics. Newspapers and the Internet were tied as the most relied upon source for electronics shopping information.
• Nearly 35 percent plan to buy cell phones or cell phone service. Newspapers and the Internet were tied, right behind in-store promotion, as the most relied upon source for cell phone shopping information.
• 34 percent plan to buy financial or insurance products or services.
• 25 percent plan to buy furniture. 28 percent rely most on their community newspaper for information for home furniture shopping. That's about 4 percent more than the second most relied upon source: in-store promotions; and more than twice that of the third most relied upon source: the Internet.
• 16 percent plan to buy appliances. 26 percent rely most on their community newspaper for information for major appliance purchases, 7 percent more than the next most relied upon source: in-store information and the Internet (tie); and four times more than the fourth most relied upon source, magazines.
• 11 percent plan to buy a used vehicle.
• 9 percent plan to buy a new vehicle. Readers rely equally on newspapers, dealerships and the Internet for information for new car purchases (about 18 percent each).

"That's a solid shopping list for Main Street America," Stevenson says. "And community newspapers help both buyers and sellers."

Community Newspaper Readership/Advertising Survey Highlights

• 79% of readers read classified ads
  • 37% read classified ads somewhat-to-very often
    • 21% read classified ads very often
• 73% of readers read grocery-supermarket ads
  • 47% of readers read grocery-supermarket ads somewhat-to-very often
• 34% read grocery-supermarket ads very often
• Half of readers rely most on newspapers for grocery shopping information
  • That's twice the next most relied upon source:
  • 25% rely most on in-store promotions
  • 5% rely most on direct mail for grocery shopping information
  • 4% rely most on shoppers/ad sheets for grocery shopping information
• 72% of readers read hardware-home improvement ads
  • 36% of readers read hardware-home improvement ads somewhat-to-very often
    • 20% read hardware-home improvement ads very often
  • 28% of readers rely most on their local newspaper for building and home improvement shopping information
    • That's nearly 50% more than the next relied upon source:
    • 20% rely most on in-store promotions
    • 10% rely most on the Internet for home improvement purchase info
    • 4% rely most on television
• 66% of readers read department store ads
  • 29% of readers read department store ads somewhat-to-very often
    • 15% read department store ads very often
• 65% of readers read discount store ads in their local paper
  • 32% read discount store ads somewhat-to-very often
    • 19% read discount store ads very often
• 62% of readers read public notice ads in their local newspaper (not all papers publish public notices)
  • 29% read public notice ads somewhat-to-very often
    • 15% read public notice ads very often

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• 81% of readers believe government should be required to publish public notices in newspapers

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• 78% of readers planned to purchase health or medical products or services in the next year
• 73% of readers planned to buy women's clothing in next year
• 60% of readers said they planned to purchase men's clothing in next 12 months
• 58% of readers said they planned to purchase travel in next 12 months
• 52% of readers planned to purchase lawn and garden supplies or services in next year
• 41% of readers said they planned to purchase electronics in the next 12 months
  • 23% of readers rely most on their local newspaper or the Internet (tie) for electronic shopping info
    • 18% rely most on in-store promotions
    • 6% rely most on television
    • 4% rely most on magazines
• 35% of readers said they planned to purchase cell phones or cell service in next year
  • 10% of readers rely most upon their local paper for cell phone shopping info
    • 17% rely most on in-store promotions
    • 11% rely most on the Internet for cell phone shopping information
    • 7% rely most on television for cell phone shopping information
• 34% of readers planned a financial or insurance product purchase in next year
• 25% of readers said they planned to purchase furniture in the next 12 months
  • 28% rely most on their local newspaper for furniture shopping information
    • 24% rely most on in-store promotions
    • 12% rely most on the Internet for furniture shopping information
    • 5% rely most on television
• 16% of readers said they planned to purchase appliances in the next 12 months
  • 26% of readers rely most on their local newspaper for appliance shopping information
    • That's nearly 50% more than the next most relied upon sources:
    • 19% rely most on in-store promotions or the Internet (tie) for appliance shopping information
    • 6% rely most upon magazines
    • 4% rely most upon television
• 11% of readers said they planned to purchase a used vehicle in the next 12 months
• 9% of readers said they planned to purchase a new vehicle in the next 12 months
  • 17% of readers rely most on the local paper for new car shopping information, virtually the same as those who rely on either information at the dealership, or from the Internet.
  • 19% rely most on information at the dealership
  • 18% rely most on the Internet for new car shopping information
  • 6% rely most on television for new car shopping information
• 7% said they planned to purchase a house in the next 12 months

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• 50% said they NEVER use radio to make purchasing decisions
  • An additional 28% said they RARELY use the radio to make purchasing decisions
• 34% said they NEVER use direct mail to make purchasing decisions.
  • An additional 35% said they RARELY use direct mail to make purchasing decisions
• 30% said they NEVER use television to make purchasing decisions
  • An additional 29% said they RARELY use television to make purchasing decisions
• 30% said they NEVER use the Internet to make purchasing decisions
  • An additional 11% said they RARELY use the Internet to make purchasing decisions
• 23% aid they NEVER use the Yellow Pages to make purchasing decisions
  • An additional 35% RARELY use the Yellow Pages to make purchasing decisions
• In contrast, 43% of readers said newspaper advertising was helpful-to-very helpful in making purchasing decisions (71% said newspaper advertising was somewhat to very helpful in making purchasing decisions).

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• 79% of respondents reported living in a small town of less than 10,000 population, or in rural or farm areas. Only 22% reported living in a medium size town or suburb. (15% live on a farm; 25% in rural area; 39% in town less than 10,000, population; 16% in a medium size town, 10,000 - 25,000; 6% "other")
• 88% of respondents own a home; 10% rent.
• 22% have children younger than 18 years old living at home
• 91% of respondents have at least a high school education
• 95% of respondents described themselves as white-Caucasian
  • 1.4% as African American
  • 1.2% as American Indian
  • .8% as Asian American
  • .6% as Latino/Hispanic
• 60% of respondents described themselves as married
  • 13.5% as single
  • 13% as widowed
  • 9% as divorced
  • 1.6% as member of an unmarried couple
  • 1.2% as separated
• 38% of respondents reported they were employed full-time
  • 30.5% said they were retired
  • 6% as employed part-time
  • 13% as self-employed
  • 4% each as unemployed/out of work or homemaker
  • 2% each student or disabled
• 44.6% of respondents reported an annual household income of $50,000 or more
  • 22.9% reported annual household income of $25,000--$50,000
  • 18.7% reported annual household income of $50,000--$75,00
  • 14.7% reported annual household income of $100,000 or more
  • 11.2% reported annual household income of $75,00--$100,000
  • 8.2% reported annual household income of $10,000--$25,000
  • 4.8% reported annual household income below $10,000
• Respondents were 53% female; 47% male.
• Three-quarters (75%) of all surveyed have Internet access at
  • 74% of those have broadband access at home
• Almost one-third (31%) of readers who have Internet access report they visited the local newspaper's web site in the past month. That compares to 27% in 2007.
• Of those who visited a local newspaper web site in the past month:
  • 76% visited within the last week (same as 2007)
  • 11% visited the web site daily (compared to 7% in 2007)
• The average age of respondents in 2008 was 56. The range was 18-95.
  • 34% were 65 years old or older
  • 23% 55-64
  • 19% 45-54
  • 13% 35-44
  • 7% 25-34
  • 5% 18-24
• The average number of years 2008 respondents had lived in their home was 16.4 years
  • 19% have lived in their home 30 years or more
  • 15% 20-30 years
  • 25% 10-20 years
  • 19% 5-10 years
  • 18% less than 5 years
  • 3% less than 1 year