The feel for paper: there is still a core loyalty to print
Despite falling newspaper and magazine circulation, there remains a core of loyal readers, and the average read frequencies of magazines are benefiting advertisers
South Africans who earn more than R25,000/month are still reading printed newspapers, with one person in four enjoying the ritual and more than 20% appreciating the touch and feel of real paper between their fingers. That’s according to new research commissioned by the Publisher Research Council (PRC) and conducted by WhyFive Insights. About 25,000 economically active adults who live in households with an income above that figure were polled. More than 70% still pick up a daily or weekly newspaper. The results come as the newspaper market is under increasing circulation pressure. In the second quarter of this year, total daily newspaper circulation fell to 1,163,265, from 1,278,157 during the previous corresponding reporting period. Weekend newspapers have declined to 1,397,409 from 1,580,602. The Sunday Times is down to 262,715 from 291,770. The Star (daily) is down to 80,345 from 86,643; the Sowetan to 73,610 from 88,741; Business Day is at 20,056 from 24 508; The Citizen is at 44...
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